How to Lead Boldly in Our Ruptured World

Nik Gowing, Founder and Director of Thinking the Unthinkable, works to empower leaders on how to navigate positively uncertainties and disruption.
The aim is to create new mind muscle.

Thinking the Unthinkable helps leaders to:

Embrace change and new disruptions.
Identify unthinkable challenges. Promote a positive culture of innovation and resilience.

Learn how

Global Impact Map

Learn about how our work has delivered impact across the globe. From grassroots movements in the UK, to global conferences across the world. Use the interactive map to see Thinking the Unthinkable’s impact.

Discover the Thinking the Unthinkable Podcast

Join us for bold, positive conversations with visionary leaders, innovators, and change-makers. Discover how leaders are dealing with Unthinkables from the climate crisis to geopolitics.

Listen to podcasts

Reporting Climate: The Urgent Fight Against Misinformation – with Marek Pruszewicz

Facing Unthinkables: the Urgent Need to Confront New Extremes – with David Shukman

A Tough Gig: But 100,000 Directors Won’t Back Down on Climate – with Julie Baddeley

The Business Case Has Never Been Stronger. So Why Is it Not Sticking? – with Sally Uren

‘Constellation of Disruption’: New Risks, New Numbers, New Decisions – with Philippe Joubert

Confronting the Climate Threat to Island Existence – with Karen-Mae Hill

‘The Blueprint Is Broken’: Why Businesses Must Change – with Aron Cramer

‘The Unthinkable Is Here’: What Leaders Must Do Now – with Kylie Porter

‘More Optimistic Than I’ve Ever Been’: On Nature Security and Growth – with Tony Juniper

‘Baby Steps’ on Climate Will Not Work – with Kumi Naidoo

What Our Valued Partners Say

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It was such a pleasure and priviledge to have you with us. You were an absolutely brilliant MC. Your warmth, wit and remarkable ability to engage both speakers and the audience made an enormous difference. Thank you for being such an important part of this year’s Warsaw Security Forum.

Professor Katarzyna Pisarska

Chair, Warsaw Security Forum

Thinking the Unthinkable does something vital but increasingly rare; it provides space to discuss and debate progressive change, the challenges facing it and the means by which it can be achieved.

Marek Pruszewicz

CEO, Dialogue Earth

I’ve seen many moderators. I’ve never seen anyone managed a room quite like that. Playful, sharp, magnetic. Every award he’s received is deserved. Watching him work was a masterclass in what presence actually means.

Mila Sokolnikova

Founder, The ASSET Method

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Prompting and challenging us was the wonderfully charming and incisive Nik Gowing – a born compere if there ever was one. The SCC had brought together around 40 C-Suite and senior representatives from both Swedish and UK business, and it was cheering to see bilateral debate in full flow throughout the evening, and in the best of spirits.

Sunny Mann

Global Chair, Baker McKenzie

Your guidance and skillful facilitation were central to the success of the session. The way you steered the discussion, highlighted key insights, and created space for diverse perspectives greatly enriched the conversation and elevated the overall quality of the event. Your presence not only fostered a dynamic and meaningful exchange but also inspired participants to reflect critically and act purposefully…It was an honor to have you with us as moderator for this important event.

Dino Patti Djalal

Founder, FPCI

Unthinkables unleashed onstage. 1 day. 12 hours. 2 Global Forums. 6 Debaters. Thousands of participants – and 1 Sorcerer of Ideas. Thinking the Unthinkable resonated at Alt Proteins ‘25 and SXSW Sydney. Thrilled to weave ideas and connections with ex-BBC journalist, BAFTA winner and TtU Founder Nik Gowing. Nik alchemised energetic discussions on the urgency of transforming our food systems.

Kat Dunn

Director, Food Frontier

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I have been so impressed! Your guidance in preparing the Summit and all the sessions, feedback on the run of show, and your commitment to engagement with the audience were fundamental for the high quality of discussion and insights that the Summit provided. And your moderation on the data was stellar – entertaining but strict, to the point, a real Master of Ceremony. Having you there made a big difference, and I really am grateful for this!

Karen Hitschke

CEO, Building Bridges

Thinking the Unthinkable and then acting on it… Nik Gowing put it so beautifully – we need to Think the Unthinkable and then design systems to tackle them. We can so often avoid the hard conversation: bury our heads in the sand, avoid the elephant in the room and where does that get us? Unprepared and out of time. Being brave enough to Think the Unthinkable needs elevation in every boardroom.

Kylie Porter

CEO, Greater Whitsunday Alliance

Nik Gowing is a phenomenal leadership thinker and distinguished journalist. Indefatigable and determined, he has endless curiosity and a passion to understand and make sense of a changing world. Nik has made an exceptional contribution to global television journalism, building a worldwide following and receiving instant recognition by leaders in politics, business, diplomacy, defence and security. In the past decade, he anticipated turbulence and disruption in markets and organisations, boldly and robustly engaging leaders to think the unthinkable.

Lucian Hudson

Executive Director, Durham University

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Nik puts you at ease whilst quickly focusing on the key questions at hand. His ability to engage intelligently on topics in a friendly manner, one that allows you to offer your thoughts and ideas clearly, reflects his professionalism and many years of experience as a top broadcast journalist. Nik and his colleagues don’t leave it there – they do an excellent job in launching the podcast, then providing you with updates on listener figures/engagement. Noone else I’ve worked with on podcasts (and they’ve been many) follow through in such a good way.

Mark Campanale

CEO, Carbon Tracker Initiative

Your contribution as a panelist brought real clarity and energy to the conversation. I heard many positive comments from attendees and one industry expert said that it felt like watching a TED Talk — engaging, thought-provoking, and perfectly pitched. Thank you again for helping to make the session such a standout moment.

Karena Yan

Associate Dean for DBAs, Durham University Business School

A huge thank you for being such a brilliant Master of Ceremonies and moderator yesterday. Your presence on stage, professionalism, and ability to navigate the many moving parts with such agility made a real difference to the evening and also building up to the event. We’ve received fantastic feedback – people really appreciated the energy of the discussions. You struck exactly the right tone and created a dynamic flow across the programme.

Oscar Welen

Business Development & Operations Executive, Swedish Chamber of Commerce for the UK

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Please accept my deepest thanks for that lecture, which was brilliant even by your usual standards. It seems that unpredictability and a degree of slow-burning chaos are becoming the new normal and maybe more of the course should reflect this

Dr Simon Anglim

Kings College, London

Your extensive knowledge and reflections on issues of international politics added immense value to the discussions. Your contribution not only deepened our understanding of the challenges facing the world, but also presented new ideas that will guide future discussions. We greatly appreciate the time and effort you have devoted to sharing your insights with us.

Peter Grk

Secretary General, Bled Strategic Forum

Nik was far more than a co-host, presenter or moderator at Unleashed. He was a co-creator, constantly challenging with a mission to improve, enhance and to create the best possible outcome for us. The outcome was fantastic, and we are still surfing the waves of its success

Peter Sandberg

Deputy CEO, Stockholm Chamber of Commerce

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A big thank you for your superb chairing of both the Sustainable Innovation Forum and Hydrogen Transition Summit. It was a pleasure working with you and we’ve received numerous compliments on your excellent moderating throughout both events. As ever, your ability to engage the audience and dig deeper into topics with panellists helped ensure everyone involved – from speakers to attendees to virtual viewers – left with more. We look forward to working with you again. You smashed it, mate.

Thom Marx

Programme Director, Climate Action

We would like to express a big thank you to the two of you for facilitating and moderating our Network Conference in such a smooth way. The engagement that you put in ahead of the conference – now for the third time – is exceptional. We do appreciate the way you push us and from what we have heard from the participants so far, this year’s conference was a true success. We are now working on how to take the next step and work with the participants on radical change and future proofing.

Wallenberg Cousins

Wallenberg Family

Nik Gowing and the Thinking the Unthinkable team have been instrumental to my team and the projects’ success. Through the vast experience that Nik and his team bring – coaching and mentoring from my experience – Thinking the Unthinkable is not just a name. It is an approach, a priceless one, to any organisation and leadership/executive teams’ success.

Iolanda dos Santos

Chief Events Officer, Climate Action

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Nik was instrumental in helping us achieve a highly successful conference, not only by his mastery in engaging the delegates but also his input into the preparation. He helped us configure the conference hall to promote interaction and to think through the flow of each session. He challenged us to define objectives more clearly.

Ian Riley

CEO, World Cement Association

I have watched the BB-Event on Monday, Nik. You did so well moderating and keeping up a high level dialogue with your interview partner and the audience. Congratulations.

Michael Duesberg

SDG’s driven Board Member

A fabulous event.
Thank you Nik Gowing for inspiring, facilitating and creating an atmosphere to better understand the risk and the potential.

Jonathan Wright

Global Managing Partner, IBM

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As always, it has been a great pleasure to work together with you ahead of our Network Conference. We truly appreciate that you provoke us and push boundaries. The success of a conference like this is always dependent on the team setting it up, all the thinking around potential speakers and the pre-meetings with the speakers. We are happy that we had you on the team this year as well.

The Wallenberg Cousins

Wallenberg Family

It was a virtuoso performance! I thought you made some great points that were highly relevant and really got people sitting up and thinking. I cannot thank you enough for giving up your time today. A huge thanks again for not only taking part today, but doing so with skill, great knowledge and gusto.

Peter Power

Vice Chairman, Resilience Association

The vision that you brought to the table was quite different from what we had previously discussed internally, and it made such a difference for everything that came after. The setup not only made the event itself livelier and more enjoyable for participants, it also helped me immensely in my approach towards potential speakers. Because suddenly, seats in the audience were almost as attractive as actual panel seats. I honestly don’t think we would have been able to secure as many high-level speakers with a more traditional setup.

David Preuss

International Policy Adviser, Mayor of Stockholm

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We wanted to send you a big thank you for supporting CAFA at Reset Connect. Your contribution was really valuable and we appreciate you taking the time out of your busy schedule.

Ali Heppenstall

Executive Director, Climate Action for Associations (CAFA)

I have worked with Nik for a couple of years now, and knew instantly that I wanted him more involved in our Summit. He has a sharpness and edge which helps create that electric conversation whilst delivering a super professional presentation. A true professional, he provides input in every detail to ensure the success of the event.

Peter Sandberg

Chief Executive, Swedish Chamber of Commerce

A big thank you for once again so brilliantly moderating the Opening Session of the Aurora Forum. You were as ever marvellous in the role and warmed the room up and set the tone for how everyone felt they could speak and join in.

Stephanie Ashton

Executive Director, Aurora Forum

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Thank you for your fantastic job. It was a true pleasure for me to work with you and I was enormously impressed by your attention to detail and dedication to ensuring that the event would be a success. I look forward to the opportunity of working with you again.

Lorenzo Bernasconi

Head of Climate & Environmental Solutions, Lombard Odier

A big big thanks to Nik Gowing, the host for this week. 40 years of Broadcast experience really does make a difference.

Rhys Thomas

Programme Director & Head of Innovation Portfolio, Climate Action

You are the best host of any high-level climate conversations I’ve seen. Seriously well done and thanks for the work you do!

Grant Harrison

Account Executive, GreenBiz Group

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A huge thank you for the superb moderation of our two BF sessions. It is always great to have you with us.

Dr Ian O Lesser

Vice President, Executive Director Brussels

Thank you Nik for this week’s webinars. World Class, very informative, top level contributions.

Richard Hagan

Managing Director, Panelfx

It has been a pleasure to hear you and the other speakers on very important topics. I congratulate and applaud you on your work.

Kevin Korn

Global Brand Builder & Strategist

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Very well done Nik.
You are a star.

Carl-Henric Svanberg

Chair, AB Volvo

It is impressive to see how incisively you helped distilling ideas, wisdom and energy from the many brilliant minds at the Summit of Minds.

Ana Gerlin Hernández Bonilla Måbeck

Founder, The Nutriverse

Great summit yet again and your moderating has a great deal to do with it.

Atalanti Moquette

Philanthropist and Art Historian

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There’s something about this intimacy. The fact that Nik Gowing can basically draw something out of every single person in the room when he is facilitating a session is very very special. Part of me wants to tell the world and part of me wants to not tell a soul!

Steve Marshall

Premier of South Australia

Thank you Nik for summarising the spirit of the Summit of Minds so well! I really appreciated your astute involvement and the inspired flavours your brought to the debates with outstanding moderation skills and an incredible energy.

Gregory Guillot

Business and Biodiversity Programme Officer, IUCN

Thank you so much for moderating two great Brussels Forum sessions this week! We received some feedback from yesterday’s speakers emphasising what an outstanding moderator you are – I couldn’t agree more! Thank you again for helping us make the first virtual Brussels Forum a success!

Louise Langeby

Deputy Director, Strategic Convening and Operations, GMF

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Nik Gowing has an extraordinary ability to articulate what many leaders sense but struggle to name. His framing of an ‘end to tranquility’ is not alarmist, it is a sober assessment of the speed and scale of systemic disruption confronting boards today. What struck me most was his challenge to boardroom conformity. The idea that what qualifies you for leadership can simultaneously disqualify you from confronting disruption is both uncomfortable and profoundly important. It goes to the heart of how leadership actually operates under pressure.
This was not a speech about doom. It was a call for intellectual courage. The emphasis on creating ‘mind muscle’ and psychological permission for challenge should resonate deeply with Chairs and Non Executive Directors who recognise that governance must evolve as fast as the risks it seeks to oversee.

Ralph Grayson

Managing Partner, Sainty Hird & Partners

Your work with Thinking the Unthinkable, – challenging leaders to confront uncomfortable realities, rethink entrenched assumptions and build strategic resilience – clearly struck a chord.

Several members have commented on how energising it was to be pushed to think, to reassess and to challenge.
In a room full of senior business and thought leaders, that is no mean feat, and you delivered it with clarity, provocation and real authority.

Janine Stow

Chief Executive Officer, The Quorum Network

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Awesome Sustainable Innovation Forum. Listened as much as possible during my day and really appreciate all your moderation, curation and leadership in this important area.

Dr Ralf Belusa

CDO & Supervisory Board Member, PHOENIX Group

It was fantastic to have you on board as a moderator, and in person! The Summit of Minds attendees were evidently craving community.

Petra Jaeger

International Business and Development, Monthly Barometer

A sincere thank you to the team at Thinking The Unthinkable for encouraging us to seize the moment and lay the foundations for the next chapter of FFI’s history. Our collaboration brought a sense of pace and urgency, encouraging us to embrace opportunities and rise to the challenges ahead. There has never been a more important time to think the unthinkable.

Mark Rose

Deputy Director, Strategic Convening and Operations, GMF