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Praise for Leadership Results

A great read. In Leadership Results, Sebastian addresses the challenges of leadership and provides valuable insights and tools to help leaders at all levels of an organisation. Leadership is a critical factor in so many roles in today's organisations as the complexity of operations, the removal of geographic borders and the ability to create value challenges many companies. Sebastian's data driven analysis, supported by real and diverse experiences, makes this book a great reference point for anyone looking to take on the leadership challenge.

— Joff Allen, Chief Executive Officer, EduCo International Group

Leadership Results pulls together leadership wisdom from a remarkably inclusive set of thinkers and doers, and the result is an engaging and useful book to enhance the effectiveness of leaders in any sector. Illuminating the most powerful tool of the leader, Salicru distinguishes between the language of action and the language of possibility. In short, leadership is ultimately relational, and language is the material upon which relationships are built. The book offers simple exercises to practice and deepens the reader's leadership effectiveness.

— Amy C. Edmondson, Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management, Harvard Business School and author of Building the Future: Big Teaming for Audacious Innovation

Leadership Results will challenge every leader's thinking about what effective leadership really is. Sebastian Salicru makes clear that we are experiencing a leadership crisis like we have never known before and he urges us to become part of a movement to overcome that crisis. In detail, he eloquently outlines how leaders can become strong performers who are adaptive to new circumstances in their global operating contexts. A must read for anyone with even a remote interest in leading into the future.  

— Professor Gary Martin FAIM FACE, Chief Executive Office, Australian Institute of Management WA

A compelling view of leadership as social performance. Timely, relevant and full of insights.

— Vip Vyas, CEO of Distinctive Performance and contributor to INSEAD Knowledge

With essential elements of leadership at his fingertips, Sebastian Salicru in Leadership Results has created a wonderful tapestry to help organizations find their way. Myths, dreams and lessons in growing up are woven together with comprehensive research findings to provide the reader with practical examples of how organizational leadership can really make a difference. Sebastian makes it very clear that we are lost without good leadership and shows us all how to develop this important capability.” 

— Warren Parry, CEO LifeMap Research and author of Big Change Best Path – Successfully Managing Organizational Change with Wisdom, Analytics and Insight.

Sebastian's deep understanding of leadership behaviour is unique and impactful. This is a very inspirational book that addresses the leadership crisis and its failure in developing trust, motivation, and effectiveness to bring out the best in self and others. In a world of relentless change and uncertainty, Sebastian has clearly hit the mark. All leaders must understand and do what he is emphasizing to be truly effective. His ideas are thought-provoking, timely, and daring — a must-read for every leader.

— George Kohlrieser, Ph.D, Professor of Leadership and Organizational Behavior, IMD, Lausanne, Switzerland, and bestselling Author of Hostage at the Table and Care to Dare

It is almost cliché to say that the world is changing faster than ever, and the sad truth is, in most organisations, leadership practices haven't caught up. In Leadership Results, Sebastian Salicru unpacks a research-based model that offers a relational approach that yields innovation, extraordinary performance, and business results for twenty-first century leaders. He presents a broad range of anecdotes that will not only make you smile, but help you understand why he has created this road map to navigate modern leadership. If you want to be a successful leader in our constantly changing world, Leadership Results is critical reading.

— Peter Cook, CEO, Thought Leaders Global

The book reveals several important insights about the nature and evolution of human beings and why leadership is relational, contextual and as ever evolving as we who practice it. It's inspirational with a clear message. This evidence-based book uses a systematic research-based approach in building the arguments and in describing the thinking behind the leadership results framework. Readers who appreciate scientific and evidence based-books will like this – it's a complete guide to leadership as a discipline and how leaders can elevate their own capacity and quality in practicing it.

— Niklas Nordling, PsychDr, Head of Culture and Organization Development, Nokia

This book provides a wide perspective in a growing field of leadership literature. Sebastian is humorous in that he rarely makes the mistake of taking himself too seriously. He does however take the subject matter seriously and attempts to bring together research and global experience in a coherent manner. Of particular interest is his exploration of relational models of leadership; his own research into the field and the implications for how to develop leadership. I also enjoyed his frequent use of stories together with his anecdotes about his personal journey: a rare combination in a leadership text. This book will appeal to beginners in the field because of its comprehensive coverage as well as to advanced practitioners because of its practical insights.

— Michael Johnstone PhD, co-founder and Executive Director, Vantage Point Consulting, Australia

Sebastian Salicru starts by throwing down the gauntlet, challenging readers to be part of the solution to the leadership crisis across the world. Through his ‘Leadership Results' model, he succinctly captures the complex interrelationships between self and collective leadership without oversimplification, reminding us that leader development is not the same as leadership development,   while providing examples and context to help illustrate the differences. Interspersed with instructive and entertaining stories throughout, this well-written book provides a valuable perspective on leadership, leadership development and the possibilities for our future if we can collectively exercise better leadership to tackle our toughest challenges.

— Joe ‘Hark' Herold, CEO & Founder, Hark Leadership

Leadership Results is an essential book for all leaders dealing with the challenges and opportunities presented by the cyber-physical age. Salicru crystalizes decades of the most relevant thinking and leadership theory, effortlessly bringing together reasoned insights and science-backed tools to help leaders adapt to complexity.  Replete with engaging stories, as well as experienced wisdom, suggested practices, authoritative studies, and practical measures, a central treatise of the narrative is that that there's no such thing as a perfect leader, or indeed one ‘best' way to lead in all contexts.  This impressive work supports that all leadership requires connection, however, whether to people or purpose. Highly recommended reading.

— Dr Natalie Ferres, Director of strategic leadership advisory Bendelta Pty Ltd, and author of the book People Development: An inside view to developing individuals, leaders and organisations

Leadership Results is a thoughtful, thoroughly researched, well written and timely blend of Salicru's lengthy experience and deep psychological insights. It is evidenced based, pragmatic and a must-read for any leader's library.

— Jim Grant, Partner, Dattner Grant

In Leadership Results, Salicru is tackling the greatest leadership challenge of our time, the role of the leader in the future. His thesis that leadership has always been and will increasingly be about the relational dynamics in a business is critical for knowing what to do next.

— Matt Church, Founder, Thought Leaders Global

Of all the leadership books I've read, Leadership Results is the most accessible. Salicru has advanced the art and science of leadership with this well researched practice based guide. A must read for aspiring leaders.

— Dan Buchner, founder, praktikel Innovation Leadership Learning

In an era that is characterised by a crisis of leadership, Sebastian Salicru has done all of us and our leaders a great service in compiling the thinking and practice of prominent researchers, authors and practitioners of leadership. The result, Leadership Results, is practical and down to earth and full of insightful questions as well as informative examples and anecdotes that allow us to see great (and not so great) leadership in action. Sebastian has utilised his comprehensive research to create a new model of leadership based on the understanding that all leadership is based on relationships and that an organisation's journey towards greater engagement of their people begins with the integrity and individual personal development of its leaders.

— Mandy Geddes, General Manager, Education, Institute of Executive Coaching and Leadership (IECL)

Sebastian has written an insightful and useful book which will appear at precisely the right time. Now. Right now, as we as a species (all 8+ billion of us) are immersed in a transformative moment. It is quite unclear what the new forms and forces of the emerging world will look like. It is very clear that most of what we have taken to be normal and expected will pass on by. Getting from Here/Now to There/Then is the issue, and finding the way is what leadership is all about. Leadership is not the private preserve of The Leaders. It is the opportunity and obligation of every human being — in families, workplaces, and the community at large. Some do it well, others poorly. We can all do it better — and Sebastian can help. Read this book.

— Harrison Owen, President of H.H. Owen and Company, author, consultant and creator of Open Space Technology

I really enjoyed Sebastian's book and admire his passion. We proceed from different perspectives: I believe the world is very well led and we have reached an incredible level of human prosperity. However, leaders today face a new challenge, 24-hour a day broadcast of criticism with an emphasis on bad news. Our well-being and the planet's health requires new modes of thinking and leadership and this is where Sebastian nails the need for change. Sebastian's book and his insights will help many people understand and improve their leadership capacity and leadership!

— Victor Perton, leadership adviser and advocate, editor and publisher, The Australian Leadership Project

As Sebastian Salicru demonstrates in his thoughtful new book, Leadership Results, it is relationships that are of paramount importance. No matter what the company, success depends on the psychological wellbeing of those who work there. Salicru makes a convincing case that the successful leader knows how to foster the successful relationships that drive organizations.

— Ellen Langer, Professor of Psychology, Harvard University, author of Mindfulness

Salicru has performed an enormous service and a prodigious feat of intellectual dexterity by mining the exhaustive canon of writing and research on leadership to create a holistic, synthesised yet original theory, assessment tool and practice which will be an invaluable resource for anyone who seeks to make progress on daunting challenges in the world, the workplace, or even personally. His core insight that leadership is at its essence a relational activity is an important and timely note of reality, especially for the times in which we live, when the seemingly intractable challenges communities face can lead to a yearning for authoritarian saviours who promise more than they can deliver.

— Marty Linsky, faculty, Harvard Kennedy School

If you want a comprehensive view of the leadership literature and how to create adaptive leaders for this ever-changing workplace, Leadership Results is that book. It is highly readable, practical and thorough and a must if you want to understand what leadership is all about.

— Professor Sir Cary Cooper, ALLIANCE Manchester Business School, University of Manchester, UK

Amidst a dearth of innovative leadership literature, this book is a gem. Referencing grounded theory, the reader is guided towards new models of collective leadership with a focus on performance and results. In an age where leadership seems to be regressing towards the charismatic, Sebastian presents a compelling and progressive model for the 21st century.

— Dr Graham Ward, Adjunct Professor of Organisational Behaviour. INSEAD Business

In this book Sebastian Salicru skillfully weaves together a rich tapestry of theory, research, examples and personal experience to provide a thoughtful yet practical guide for leadership practitioners, students, scholars and developers. It is a timely and compelling call to action that encourages the reader to reflect on their prior learning and experience, embrace new ideas, discard out-dated practices, and to work collaboratively to build a better future.

— Richard Bolden, Professor of Leadership and Management, Bristol Business School, University of the West of England

Finally, an evidence-based book on leadership written for managers as opposed to scholars. This highly readable book makes clear what leaders must do in their respective organisations to bring about a high-performing workforce.

— Gary Latham, Secretary of State Professor of Organizational Effectiveness, Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto

We are in an era when many of the conventional myths about leadership — to develop leadership we need to develop leaders; leadership and authority are one and the same — no longer apply to contemporary organisations.  Sebastian Salicru is bold enough in Leadership Results to introduce us to new models of both leadership and leadership development.  In particular, having pushed for years to re-imagine leadership as a collaborative property, I am — and readers of this book will be likewise — grateful that this author has come up with such a firsthand and practical way to illustrate collective leadership and collective leadership development.

— Joe Raelin, Knowles Chair of Practice-Oriented Education, Northeastern University, Boston, USA

Leadership is arguably the most written about topic in the field of organisational management and operations.  Yes, much of what is written is based on popular myths and misconceptions about what leadership is and why it exists. In this book, author Sebastian Salicru cuts though all the hype to make it clear that good leadership is first and foremost about forming and maintaining relationships with other human beings for the benefit of the whole society.  By talking a relationship perspective, Salicru delivers a straightforward and easily digestible account of what leaders need to do in order to obtain real results in today's fast-moving and complex world.  A particular strength of the book is the way the author combines a deep knowledge of the evidence-based literature with his own real-world experience.  The result is a ‘road map' of effective leadership that tells how organisational leaders can engage with their followers to produce exceptional results that matter.

— Neal M. Ashkanasy OAM, PhD, Professor of Management, UQ Business School, The University of Queensland

Our understanding of leadership — what it is, how it works, and even how people know it when they see it — is changing. In Leadership Results, Sebastian combines the latest research with his power of storytelling to speak in simple relatable terms about what makes a twenty-first-century leader — relational dynamics! This book requires nothing less than a revolution of mind and a shift in order of thought to see relationships as both a context for action and as an outcome of leadership. The world is changing — Leadership Results will help you keep up.

— Jennifer Gippel PhD (Finance), Emeritus Faculty, Australian National University

Sebastian Salicru's extensive experience as an international business psychologist and scholar provides a strong foundation for his powerful insights into driving innovation in organisations through his Leadership Results model. He provides key resources and extensive personal experience outlining a model to build leadership capacity based on a social process that emerges from the dynamics of relationships in the organisation. Leadership Results is compelling in its call for growing exceptional leaders who think deeply and act boldly to lead global innovation with authenticity and integrity.

— Dr Susan Keller-Mathers, Associate Professor, International Center for Studies in Creativity, Buffalo State

FRESH, ENGAGING and DEEP, this is how I would describe Leadership Results. Academically sound but it captures you like a novel. Sebastian brings a harmonious combination between theory and practice with many stories and quotes that make the text more interesting and appealing to the average reader. At the same time, Leadership Results is a very comprehensive book that covers and uncovers many aspects of leadership, questioning some of the established wisdom about leadership and its development in a way that will make you reflect and expand your previously adopted ideas. Are you already initiated into leadership?

— Enric Bernal, Global Solutions Faculty and Latin America Manager, Center for Creative Leadership, San Diego, California

In his wonderful new book Leadership Results, Sebastian Salicru illuminates the new paradigm of relational leadership with wisdom and clarity. This book reframes effective leadership in the world today as a creative and above all relational activity shared among many people working together across all kinds of boundaries. The old maps don't work anymore and the world is in crisis. It is time for us all to wake up and get on with the agenda Sebastian masterfully describes in this book.

— Charles J. Palus PhD, Senior Fellow, The Center for Creative Leadership

In this relational look at leadership development, Salicru weaves together compelling stories, historical perspectives, and relevant case studies into a work which thoroughly covers the terrain of leadership theory. Each chapter is chock full of frameworks, tools, and insights for achieving more powerful leadership. With examples from many different fields and industries, he demonstrates how leaders can use their understanding of relational principles to make shifts towards ‘extraordinary performance', build ‘collective leadership capacity' and achieve results.

— Karen Jo Shapiro, Psy. D., Adjunct Faculty, Center for Creative Leadership

Reading the manuscript, the word ‘beautiful' appeared in my notes more often than it does when I read most books. This is an immense and impressive work. Sebastian does not shy away from the crises that we face on our finite planet and, without apology or ego, firmly places the notion of adaptive leadership at the heart of a successful future world. The book combines attention to the big picture, alongside practical wisdoms that are implementable right here right now. Drawing deeply on existing wisdom, Sebastian weaves that together with his own evidence-based insights, stories and experience creating new awareness and ways of being. This book will be a companion for you for as far as you are happy to take it on your leadership journey.

— Dr Alison Whybrow, chartered and coaching psychologist

Early in his book, Salicru points out that leadership is more than art and science; it also contains a healthy dose of mystery. Through stories, case studies, research insights, ancient wisdom and personal experiences, he takes the reader on a journey that accesses both the head and the heart, while encouraging imagination and courage, to navigate the new landscape of leadership. The magic of this book is that Salicru masterfully makes the insights stick and provokes leaders to move out of their comfort zones and self-created echo-chambers, and engage others of myriad political, ethnic, and cultural stripes, in their quest for meaningful achievement. The timing of his manuscript and the introduction of his novel ideas are of paramount importance to the modern leader. Leadership Results is designed to launch leaders into a new way of thinking and being, and is a must-read for leaders seeking to challenge old paradigms, and open their minds to an adaptive and relational approach for building collective leadership.

— Jacque Merritt, Senior Workplace Consultant and Executive Coach, GALLUP

Sebastian Salicru's Leadership Results is a reliable and urgently needed book about the state of leadership in the world in an age of inconceivables: instability, change, uncertainty, group think and political turmoil and dis-ease. His timely focus is on urgent questions concerning the very existence of viable leadership in a world, personal and workplace, in which old paradigms about leadership are seriously in question, and new paradigms about leadership arise from new questions. What is shared here is an invaluable model of what leadership can, and needs, to be. And not a moment too soon.

— Jeff Olma, Professor of Creativity, Florida State College, Jacksonville

At a time when leadership definitions are becoming broader and more complex by the day, Sebastian provides an invaluable text which seeks to re-evaluate what leadership means, not just in business, but also through practical daily life. In refreshing style, this consistent interpersonal narrative includes key insights by chapter, a rich variety of additional reading material, and references to many prevalent real-world historical and current examples, all with the aim to provide answers to the golden question about what is expected from leaders versus the behaviour of those at the top. I thoroughly recommend this book for both a thought-provoking read and as a guide to best practice leadership!

— Richard Want, Registered Psychologist, Partner, Kendall Want Associates

Leadership RESULTS®

How to Create Adaptive Leaders and High-Performing Organisations for an Uncertain World



SEBASTIAN SALICRU









Wiley Logo










To Lisa

Foreword

Sebastian Salicru has mastered the use of my Stakeholder Centered Coaching process and in Leadership Results he continues to strive forward on the subject, offering a very fresh and thought-provoking perspective on leadership. This book comes at a time when we all need to enact personal, meaningful and lasting change, and organisations need to build real leadership capacity to achieve real results.

In Leadership Results, Sebastian's vision and core message are clear and simple. He invites us to make the world a better place by exercising leadership that forges meaningful and trusting relationships, and he tackles the subject of leadership development with great boldness, determination and pragmatism. He also addresses some of the most pressing leadership challenges we are experiencing in the world today. This includes the main reasons why leadership efforts have failed despite the huge investment made by organisations. Sebastian hits this nail firmly on the head.

Throughout his book, Sebastian uses a balanced mix of personal and professional experience, research and vivid narratives — cases, stories, fables, allegories and metaphors — to illustrate sophisticated concepts, evoke strong emotions and provoke original thinking, while offering wisdom and insight. Leadership Results inspires and infuses hope and enthusiasm towards taking action and delivering results.

Sebastian walks the talk by candidly sharing his personal challenges and feats. He exemplifies what I refer to in my book Triggers as ‘creating behavior change that lasts — becoming the person you want to be' and leaving a positive impact on people's lives. Many of us recognise the benefits of behavioural change, but few of us have been able to make those changes happen. Sebastian's story is testimony that such personal behavioural changes are possible. He shows us how not to lose hope when facing adversity, how to have courage and creativity, build reliance, and come through situations with flying colours. He also explains nicely the importance of one of my personal favourites, ‘feedforward' — providing future-oriented suggestions for improvement, which is critical for successful people to become even more successful.

None of this can be done alone. As I explain in Triggers, to become the person you want to be you need others. Sebastian demonstrates this using a relational approach to leadership and leadership development.

Leadership Results offers content rich in experience, research, and stories that present new perspectives of leadership and leadership development for our times. Sebastian is a wonderful thought leader and deserves kudos for tackling a difficult topic in times when we are facing unique challenges and unprecedented change. Leadership Results is a must-read for anyone wanting to take their self-leadership, and the leadership capacity of their organisation, to the next level.

Dr Marshall Goldsmith

Dr Marshall Goldsmith has been recognised by the American Management Association as one of 50 great thinkers and business leaders who have impacted the field of management over the past 80 years — and by Business Week as one of the most influential practitioners in the history of leadership development. Marshall was recognised as the #1 Leadership Thinker in the World and one of the Top 5 Most Influential Business Thinkers in the World, as well as the #1 Executive Coach at the 2015 biennial Thinkers50 ceremony in London.

Preface

Leadership across the world is in crisis and, while fixing it won't be easy, I think there are ways stop the rot and achieve much better leadership results. And while I can't possibly change the world single-handedly, I choose to connect to this cause intellectually and emotionally because it allows me to contribute and be part of the human race.

Harrison Owen created open space technology (OST), which is a deceptively simple and productive purpose-driven leadership approach in which groups of up to a thousand people organise themselves to deal with complex issues in a very short time. In the preface to his 1999 book The Spirit of Leadership: Liberating the leaders in each of us, he writes that ‘… leadership, along with everything else in our lives, has become or must become something quite different from what it has been'. This statement embodies the constantly evolving nature, understanding and practice of leadership.

It is no surprise, then, that leadership remains a much-debated topic and a universally undefined phenomenon. It's not only an art and a science; it also has a touch of mystery — just like life itself. And it is critical to businesses, organisations and communities, and to the evolution and survival of our species. Leadership is a determinant of our future and I cannot imagine anything more exciting, meaningful and rewarding than helping shape the destiny of humankind. This book is my humble contribution.

Sebastian Salicru

Sydney, Australia

March 2017

About the author

Sebastian Salicru is a business psychologist who specialises in leadership and organisational development. He is the director of PTS Consultants, an associate of Melbourne Business School — Executive Education, and Fellow of the Institute of Coaching (McLean/Harvard Medical School).

Sebastian has more than 20 years' experience working across sectors and industries with some of the top Fortune Global 500 companies in Australia, the United States, Europe, the UAE, China and Singapore. He helps organisations build leadership capacity to successfully navigate change and thrive in an increasingly demanding global economy where hyper-complexity and adaptive challenges are the new normal. Sebastian assists global leaders to minimise the business risks of working with people from diverse cultural backgrounds, acquire a global mindset, drive innovation, and achieve unprecedented levels of performance and business results. He also assists emerging leaders to unleash their leadership potential.

Sebastian's passion is moving from opinion-based discussions to evidence-based solutions by developing best practices. His uniqueness lies in his ability to apply them creatively to take his clients to the next level.

As a thought leader and author, Sebastian regularly presents at national and international conferences and industry events on the latest developments in leadership. His latest publications include two articles in the Journal of Business Strategy and OD Practitioner, and two book chapters on global leadership.

In addition to being a registered psychologist, Sebastian holds a Master of Creativity & Change Leadership from the State University of New York, and a Master of Management Research from UWA Business School at the University of Western Australia; he is also a graduate of the Art and Practice of Leadership Development program at Harvard Kennedy School. Sebastian is a PhD candidate at the University of Technology Sydney.

Acknowledgements

This book draws on and integrates a towering body of research on leadership, and on extensive practice of leadership development. You have probably heard from other authors that writing a book requires collaboration and teamwork. Today, I confirm to you this is absolutely the case.

The writing of this book has been possible through the assistance of four distinct groups of people. To begin with, those who taught, challenged, and inspired me experientially through my work by serving them. Next, those who by fed my appetite for learning and curiosity, taught me about doing research, simulated my thinking, provoked me with new ideas and perspectives, and uncovered many of my blind spots. Further, those who took my writing to the next level by assisting me to put my thoughts and ideas into narrative and stories. And finally, are those who supported me from behind the scenes throughout the whole process.

Firstly, I wish to thank the many client organisations and thousands of people at all organisational levels, from around the world and from all walks of life, I worked with and served during the last twenty five years. I have learnt from all of them, and they have contributed to my own personal and professional development. They have become a boundless collective repository of wealth and wisdom, a catalyst for writing this book, and they have inspired the many stories and cases presented in this book.

I am also grateful to the many world-class practitioners and researchers, with whom I had the privilege to undertake advanced professional training and development through my career. Namely: Professor Ronald Heifetz, Marty Linsky, and Dr Michael Johnstone, who serve on the faculty of the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University; Dr Susan David, faculty of Harvard Medical School and CEO of Evidence Based Psychology; Professor Gerard Puccio, Dr Susan Keller-Mathers, and Dr Mary Murdock RIP, faculty of the International Center for Studies in Creativity at Buffalo State, State University of New York; Dr Stephen Covey RIP; and the legendary Harold Bridger RIP, founding member of the Tavistock Institute of Human Relations, London.

Thank you to the following leading researchers and authors I had the pleasure to meet personally, and whose work has enriched my thinking and professional practice: David Guest, Professor in Organizational Psychology at King's College in London; Professor Sir Cary Cooper, ALLIANCE Manchester Business School, University of Manchester; Professor Gary Latham, Secretary of State of Organizational Effectiveness, Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto; Allan Bird Professor in Global Business, D'Amore-McKim School of Business, Northeastern University; and Dr Marshall Goldsmith, Professor of International Business at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College.

A special thank you to the many great thinkers, scholars, authors and practitioners whose work has further informed and galvanised my thinking, and focussed and sharpened my work, many of whom without knowing me, generously agreed to review my book and contributed with their invaluable feedback and accolades. They are: Dr Barry Posner, Professor of Leadership, Santa Clara University, and author of The Leadership Challenge; Professor Amy Edmondson at Harvard Business School; Professor Ellen Langer at Harvard University; Joseph Raelin, Professor of Management and Organizational Development at Northeastern University; Professor Richard Bolden, Bristol Business School, University of the West of England; Dr Jennifer Martineau, Senior Vice President, Research, Evaluation, and Societal Advancement, Centre for Creative Leadership; Dr Charles Palus, Senior Fellow at the Center for Creative Leadership; David Day, Professor of Psychology and Academic Director of the Kravis Leadership Institute; George Kohlrieser, Professor of Leadership and Organizational Behavior at IMD Business School. Harrison Owen President of H.H. Owen and Company, and creator of Open Space Technology; Kevin Cashman, CEO of Korn Ferry and best-selling author; and Dr Niklas Nordling, Head of Culture and Organization Development at Nokia.

I also wish to thank a handful of committed practitioners and colleagues who have also contributed to this book with their feedback and endorsements. This includes: Dr Alison Whybrow, Chartered and Coaching Psychologist; Joe “Hark” Herold, CEO & Founder, Hark Leadership; Jeff Olma, Professor of Creativity, Florida State College at Jacksonville; Richard Want, Partner at Kendall Want Associates.

Long before I even thought about writing this book, and worked on many projects, often with colleagues and friends with whom I shared memorable fun times. One that stands out and which I cherish is that of Ron Kemp from iikon, one of the greatest facilitators I have ever met. Ron, your collegiality, sense of humour, and feedback was very special to me, and are things I still remember fondly today. Thank you.

During the early stage of conceptualising the book, I wrote whitepapers that served as early experiments. I wish to thank my two colleagues and friends Ingo Susing – Managing Director of Leadership & Succession Capability, and Kenton Smith, Director of Leaders Aligned, for their reviews and feedback on this preliminary work.

Above all, writing a book requires putting thoughts and original and ideas into serious writing. This requires developing a distinct voice by going through a learning curve. Thank you to Marian Edmunds who assisted me by reviewing and challenging my writing with the first draft proposal for Wiley. I'm also thankful to Donna McTavish for her assistance with the many blogs and other pieces I wrote as part of my early work. Grant Butler and Peter Arnold, who form the Editor Group, assisted me to shape my manuscript with the first round of serious editing. Thank you both.

Thanks to Scott Eathorne from Quikmark Media, who told me that my initial book proposal was an ‘excellent document' and introduced me to Wiley.

Experiencing the professionalism of the Wiley team was my next stage. Thank you to Lucy Raymond, Senior Commissioning Editor, my initial contact at Wiley; Theo Vassili, Marketing Coordinator; my copy editor Jane Thompson; and to Chris Shorten, my Project Editor, who really impressed me with his mastery and finesse.

The last group of people who have been indispensable for writing this text are those individuals who had supported me before, during and after the writing of the book. I wish to thank my coach Jacque Merritt at Gallup, who assisted me to explore and appreciate my talents themes, and hone into my strengths. Jacque your unique empathic listening allowed me to access and to rejoice the very depths of my being. Thank you to my good friends Patrick Gallagher and Tony Pagliaroli for their words of encouragement. Gracias to our friend Rowena Prasad for sharing my excitement in writing this book. And finally, but not least, I wish to thank my wife Lisa Sundheim who has always supported me unconditionally. Lisa, I thank you for your ongoing patience and dedication. You have always helped me to see and appreciate a different perspective, and you are the great organiser in my life. I love you!