I believe that change (改变—gai bian) is our bridge to the future, and we should always cross it confidently, without looking back. Yet this writing journey has allowed me to do both—to try something new and to look back, both at the same time.

Looking back across the many decades of my career rekindled so many episodes of challenge and delight. Three marvelous companies offered me opportunities that a Chinese-born girl of my generation would never have dared to dream of. Many great leaders taught me everything I've written in this book and gave me the greatest gifts I have ever received—a passion to make a difference and a will to win.

Looking back at my time at State Street, I see how dozens of standalone infrastructure groups joined together to be united into one single, forward-looking global organization. I see worldwide teams that are now guided by a shared technology blueprint, unified by common processes, and driven by clear business priorities. I see sound skills and practices that have become second nature: an expert focus on business value and measurement, optimization, zero-defect execution, and rapid innovation. I see all of the challenges we overcame, the goals we achieved, the accolades we earned, and the fun we shared. We are so proud and honored that State Street is “Best in Class” and optimally positioned for cloud computing, big data, and analytics.

Looking back at my time in the chief innovation officer's role, I see our small yet elite team of experienced staff members, students, and young rising stars. We championed, created, and evolved tools and practices such as State Street's innovation collaboration community, bringing innovation into prominent focus for every employee, advancing a tradition of innovation to become an integral part of State Street's “business-as-usual.”

I hope all eight disciplines prove as valuable for many other individuals, teams, and organizations as they have for me and my team. As we all embark on our future evolutionary transformations, I urge every one of us to always remember to find joy and humor in confronting the challenges on each day of our journey!

* * *

Now, I would like to share my favorite—most memorable—quotation, which is often used to inspire future military officers facing formidable objectives. But it is just as relevant to our work as innovators: