WWE PAY TRIBUTE TO THE ALMOST SIXTY THOUSAND LEADERS IN OUR assessment database and the clients and organizations that we have worked with over the years. Their anonymized data helped us build and validate our whole assessment approach, and without their involvement, our insights and discoveries would have remained unknown.
We want to issue a broad and general “thank you” to all our clients, friends, and associates who helped through providing observations and comments during the early drafting of the book manuscript. Manuscripts don’t just appear intact; they evolve based on the influence of many people, and although there are too many to name individually, we appreciate their contributions.
We would particularly like to thank our wonderful publishing agent, Leah Spiro, who provided invaluable guidance and advice through this process. She introduced us to our proposal writer, Lisa Shannon, and our publishing partner and editor, Dan Ambrosio at Hachette Go. We’ve enjoyed our long partnership with Barbara Cave Hendricks, going back to her help marketing Strengths Based Leadership, and we are fortunate, and grateful, for her help again here.
Front and center in our thanks are two individuals with recognizable second names who played powerful roles early and later in our initial editing process. Amy Conchie has prior editing experience and helped keep us on track when we needed to focus our manuscript and tighten our message. Thomas Conchie was a phenomenal help in carefully crafting the sequence and flow of our content. He brought not only intelligence and subject matter expertise but also his ability to be specific in making arguments and producing a powerful narrative. We are indebted to them both. The apple clearly does not fall far from the tree, and this was a family effort. Along with Barry’s wife, Nicola Conchie, they served to keep the writing project on track.
We also want to highlight the contribution of our executive analysts, Keith Conchie and Jasmin Lillesve. Keith has diligently assessed, analyzed, and coded hundreds of leaders and helped ensure the reliability and validity of our data. Jasmin, in addition to her excellent analyst work, curated and designed the graphics for the book. Her creative vision and attention to detail brought these pages to life, ensuring that the visual elements seamlessly complemented and enhanced our message.
I want to highlight three strong female leaders who were not only extremely Talented and capable leaders in their own right, but who also set an exceptional example to female leaders everywhere. Anne Precious was a senior leader at Honley High School in Huddersfield, UK—a truly remarkable leader; Liz Ryan was a board chair and lawyer specializing in representing families of children with special needs, and a professional with an incredible, positive vision for education; and Connie Rath, PhD, was dean of Gallup University, my boss and professional guide when I arrived in Washington, DC. All had a very different but profound influence on my life and professional development. I thank them here. This book would not be possible without their involvement in shaping my professional career.
There are some individuals who have been a constant presence in our professional work and lives, and their influence can be felt in these pages—Ali Bebo was one of the very first clients I met when I arrived in the US, and she has been ever-present in my professional life. The very best non-HR CHRO, her contribution has had a profound influence on my work. I am proud to be associated with her. Other valuable contributions have come from John Clendening, Kevin Christoffersen, Curt Hartman, Shaelie Lambarth, Heather Cohen, Ken Shearer, Stefan Larsson, Ted Hayes, PhD, Pat Beyer, Jim Heath, JP Lebudel, Jennifer Meade, PhD, Tom Rath, PhD, Alex LeJeune, Adam Burke, Don Ronchi, PhD, Mark Lipscomb, Tim Scannell, Erik Anderson, Essex Mitchell, Steve MacMillan, Elie Azar, John Kibarian, John Ferrell, and Maria Brinck. Finally, a special thank you to Pamela Stroko, for her belief in the integrity of our work, and for her advocacy ensuring this book gets the right visibility in the HCM marketplace. There are hundreds of others, too numerous to name, and we thank all those who’ve made telling contributions to our work and thinking.