ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Rare is the book that is written alone, and this one is no exception. I am deeply grateful for the enormous support and encouragement I have received in the process of writing. First and foremost, I want to thank Steve Piersanti and the whole staff of Berrett-Koehler who believed in this work and who partnered beautifully with me at each step along the way in bringing this book to life. Steve in particular, demonstrated so effortlessly the many principles embedded in the book as he guided me and helped me clarify my own thoughts on the subject. I want to also thank Michael Finley, Doug Gorney, and Pat Brewer whose editing support took what would have been too many ponderous phrases and lengthy diatribes and helped make the text into something more palatable to the reader. I am deeply appreciative of my partners at Avista Consulting Group: Martha Borst, Marty Kaplan, and Jeri Mersky, whose wisdom and ability to “walk the talk” have been an inspiration to me. Many others played a significant role in helping shape the thinking of this book. To each of them, I am grateful, including Patricia Moore, Tim Kelley, Brad Margolis, Roland Sullivan, Bill Belgarde, Geoffrey Bellman, David Bradford, and Michael Lipson. I also want to express my deepest thanks to Andrea Markowitz, Kathleen Epperson, Marchelle Brain, and Frank Basler who read early versions of the manuscript and who gifted me with their thoughts, feedback, and encouragement. I am particularly thankful to Frank who went the extra distance and offered valuable suggestions that helped me tighten up the book’s structure without losing any of its message.
Finally, I want to thank my wife and son, without whom this book could not have been written. To my wife, Tina Benson, for her enthusiastic encouragement, belief in me, and support of my early morning forays into my office without complaint as she took over a greater responsibility in our household. And to my son, Josh Benson-Merron, for joining me in learning how we can become better in our roles as father and son, and as good human beings in life. This book is dedicated to the wonderful young man that he is—and the wise man that he is becoming.