The truth is that you can't do it alone. It's true for leaders, and it's also true for authors. Every time we work on a new book we're reminded of how much others contribute to what you read between the covers.

We wouldn't ever have been able to begin this journey without all the leaders who've shared their inspiring stories with us. Their experiences bring the text to life. They make it breathe and give it real-world relevance. Over the years, we've gathered thousands of case examples, and in this book there are over fifty folks who've opened themselves up to us. We very much appreciate their willingness to make themselves available to us, and to you.

When we first began work on this book, we convened a small group of emerging leaders to advise us. In a series of live and virtual conversations, Miles Ashlock, Daren Blonski, and Amanda Crowell Itliong stimulated our thinking and offered crucial insights into the challenges facing the next generation of leaders. We are grateful to them for their dedication to developing the leaders of the future.

We want to extend a special thank you to Stephen DeKrey, senior associate dean of the Business School at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. He provided Barry with the opportunity to serve as a visiting professor in the fall of 2009. It was there that we were able to expand our global view of leadership and gain insight into the diverse lives of those who reside in places far from our homes in California.

Then there are our good colleagues at John Wiley & Sons. We've been working together for twenty-five years now, and we know there are more great years ahead. Karen Murphy, our senior editor at Jossey-Bass, was the driving force behind The Truth About Leadership. She has challenged us, encouraged us, and supported us throughout the entire process. We are grateful for her confidence, her expertise, and her perseverance. We would not have started this book, let alone finished it, without her mostly gentle and resolute encouragement to persist. Mark Karmendy, editorial production manager, ensured that the book made it from manuscript to printed pages. Our copy editor, Rebecca Taff, applied her writing craft, making sure this is an enjoyable experience for our readers. We give a shout out to Gayle Mak, senior editorial assistant, for the important part she played in keeping us connected and on schedule. Without Carolyn Carlstroem, marketing manager, and Amy Packard, publicity manager, you wouldn't know about this book—or any of our others. Books have to be noticed on the shelves, on the Internet, and in the media, and they do an awesome job of getting the word out. Thanks to Adrian Morgan, art director, for creating the attractive and eye-catching jacket and making the interior look and feel just right. Lisa Shannon, associate publisher at Pfeiffer, another Wiley imprint, always deserves special thanks, and hugs, for her role as chief strategist and cheerleader of The Leadership Challenge suite of products. We are eternally grateful to John Wiley & Sons for its enthusiastic support of our work. Two executives, in particular, have been our champions for decades now. A big, big thank you to Cedric Crocker, vice president and publisher, and Debra Hunter, president, Jossey-Bass and Pfeiffer imprints.

At the beginning of each day when we begin our work, and at the end of the day when we shut down the computer for a little rest, there are really only two people who are always there for us. We are blessed with the loving support, generous encouragement, helpful feedback, and constructive coaching of our spouses, Tae Kouzes and Jackie Schmidt-Posner. They've sacrificed much so that we could devote just a few more minutes to this book ... and many others. We are very lucky guys to have such extraordinary partners. We also want to thank Nicholas Lopez, Jim's son, and Amanda Posner, Barry's daughter, for the inspiration they've given us. They were constantly on our minds as we reflected on the hopes and dreams of a new generation of men and women in the workplace. With these very special people in our lives, it drives home how true it is that leadership is an affair of the heart.

We also want to acknowledge that, without you, our readers, we'd never be able to make a contribution beyond the perimeter of our immediate friends and family. We greatly appreciate how you have accepted us into your organizational families, and we thank you for the opportunity to join with you in leaving this world a little bit better than we found it.

Jim Kouzes

Orinda, California

July 2010

Barry Posner

Santa Clara, California

July 2010