Although one author’s name appears on the cover of this book, many have contributed in some significant way. My wife’s positive expectations and persistent encouragement made all the difference. As stated in the dedication of the book, she is a gifted leader and has had a profound influence on countless people’s lives, most notably mine. My dear friend and colleague for many years, Pat MacMillan shaped the direction of the book in foundational ways during our numerous whiteboard sessions and through his feedback on early drafts of the manuscript. He has a truly remarkable ability to deconstruct ideas and to discover relevant truth. I want to thank my friend Steve Reinemund for providing great insight on the topic of accountability. Steve exemplifies excellence in all that he does. Thanks to Jeremie Kubicek, who influenced my early thinking about the three-faces model and encouraged me to write this book. Special appreciation to Colonel Cole Kingseed, USA (Ret.), former West Point Military Historian, who assisted me with the opening story about Colonel Chamberlain.
My literary agent, Shannon Marven, showed tremendous commitment to finding exactly the right publisher for this book. I am deeply grateful for her representation. When the publisher of BenBella Books, Inc., Glenn Yeffeth, told me that he had been looking for the right book on leadership for several years, and that he and his team believed Impact was that book, I knew I was home. Thanks to him for his ongoing attention to and support for the book. Editor-in-Chief Debbie Harmsen has been a great ally. She has unique gifts in making ideas clearer and the writing better. Thanks to Eric Wechter, who did an inspired job of copy editing, and Jessika Rieck for diligently overseeing the design and production process. Adrienne Lang, Deputy Publisher of BenBella Books, has shepherded this book through the publishing process adroitly.
Finally, I want to thank the many clients I have been blessed to know and to serve. I have a great appreciation for how hard they work at making their organizations excel, often under challenging market conditions and in tough competitive environments. Many of their stories illustrated the ideas in this book. I have been deeply influenced by all that I have learned from them.