Pivot Points: Five Decisions Every Successful Leader Must Make

Acknowledgments

I have always had near reverence for the power of the published word. It can affect people a world away and generations to come. I dared to hope that one day I would have something to say worthy of a book that people would want to read. This has been a more difficult journey than I could have anticipated, but also more rewarding. It has been at times a very lonely journey, and getting to my destination was possible only because of all the love, support, and help many people gave me.

My deepest thanks go to the leaders who trusted me with their stories. I learned about the art of leadership from Dale Dawson, Bud Frankel, Al Golin, John Rogers, and Glen Tullman. In their extraordinarily busy lives, they were very generous with their time and spirit of sharing their stories. I am especially grateful to Bud Frankel, my mentor, my friend, and the first participant of this book, for giving me the most important opportunity—to just do it and start writing.

Leaders who inspired this book but are not in it gave me a vivid appreciation for what leaders do—and no book can fully do justice to what they give every day. My gratitude goes to friends, mentors, and clients for making the study of leadership such a gratifying endeavor. Special thanks to Robert Crutchfield, who helped me persevere through many conversations about leadership and by reading chapters as I finished them; and to Lucien LaGrange, whose understanding of my work encouraged me through the times I felt stuck. ...