Roger Taylor, Dr. Judy Heinrich, and Rob Schachter: highly experienced consultants who practiced and used this approach to executive coaching with me. I acknowledge the significant contribution that Rob has made to my perspective and practice while we worked as a consulting team to many diverse clients. Roger’s partnership while working in client systems, training the Executive Coach Training Seminar Series with me, giving feedback on both editions, and his coaching during our case consultations has been invaluable in keeping me on track and creative in this work.

Dr. Donald Williamson, Dr. Pamela Johnson, Dr. Timothy Weber, and Cheryl Cebula: faculty colleagues at the Leadership Institute of Seattle/Bastyr University who critiqued the book and offered perspectives from their disciplines and experience in organizational development and family systems.

Jack Fontaine, Dr. Ron Short, John Runyan, Christine Frishholz, Dale Scriven, Dr. Philip Heller, Diane Robbins, and Ellen Tichenor: colleagues who gave feedback that significantly influenced the direction of the book.

Peter LaFemina: a colleague and chief financial officer who gave me invaluable consultation regarding return-on-investment calculation in Chapter Nine of this second edition.

Byron Schneider, Julianna Gustafson, Margi Fox, Erwin Karl, and Janna Silverstein: Byron and Julianna, my editors for the first edition at Jossey-Bass, were delightful. Their clarity of purpose gave this book added consistency while their gentleness urged me forward. Margi and Erwin gave me the editing guidance I needed to nudge the book to a final manuscript. Janna taught me to write a book proposal that publishers would read.

Don Werner, my late husband: he supported my work on the first edition, helped with initial graphics, and put up with having “the book” invade our home for longer than he ever imagined.

My clients and students: for their thirst for learning and willingness to risk new ways of seeing, being, and doing.

Michael Waters: for comparing notes regarding our experiences of the creative process in different media and supporting me during the writing of the second edition with much dance and laughter.

Barbara Guzzo, Libbie Stellas, Pat Lewis, Maureen Reid, Mary Hartrich, Judy Ryan, and Susie Leonard: Godsisters giving many decades of support and friendship—they buoyed me during the writing process, as they have in all of my other life transitions.