ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This book is the product of my experiences and, consistent with the title, contributions from valued friends and colleagues.

I am grateful to the clients, prospects, and advisors I served, for helping me learn what worked for you and what didn’t. I hope you experienced more and more of the former, and less and less of the latter.

I would like to thank my colleagues at State Street Global Advisors and State Street Bank that I supported, led, and/or coached during my years there. From you, I learned what it takes to be a leader and teammate on teams that win.

To my friends from the High School of Performing Arts, from whom I learned so much as a young man, I continue to admire and learn from you about performance discipline.

I thank my trusted friends and readers for the generosity of their time and the wisdom of their feedback on my early drafts. In particular, I’m grateful to Ginger Schlanger, Susan Raynes, Henri Barber, Irv Grossman, and Lawrence Dalis, my dad. Your observations challenged my thinking and no doubt made this a more useful book to more people.

To the leadership team and my colleagues at The Richardson Company, thank you for your partnership and support on this project and the excellent work you do every day to increase sales effectiveness around the world; I am proud to represent you.

A special thank you to Linda Richardson, who redirected me when I was stuck and got me moving in the right direction.

Thanks also to my new friends at McGraw-Hill. Especially to Donya Dickerson, for her persistence in keeping this project on track. And to Amy Li, for her deft touch during the editing process.

And, finally, thanks to Sandy Dalis, my wife, reader, best friend, and health coach. You listened, pushed, guided, loved, and understood me, always at the right time. This project was possible and worthwhile only because of you.