Page 264 - HBR Leader's Handbook: Make an Impact, Inspire Your Organization, and Get to the Next Level

Acknowledgments 253

sional colleagues from other firms and universities that I collaborated with
on large-scale change projects, postmerger integrations, and previous ar-
ticles and books. This handbook would not have been possible without the
foundation that they provided.
Finally I would like to thank my family for all of their support and
understanding while I was preoccupied with the research and writing that
went into this book. My adult children (Eliora, Shira, and Ari) and their
spouses (Elie, Ben, and Rebecca) continually asked me about the project
and cheered me along, despite my having less time for helping out with
their growing families or for talking with them about their professional
and personal aspirations. Fortunately my wife, Barbara, stepped into the
breach and more than made up for my lack of availability. Barbara also
encouraged me to keep going whenever I was frustrated or blocked, cele-
brated with me at key milestones, and provided the steady and loving pres-
ence that allowed me to complete this project. As with my other books, I
couldn’t have done it without her. She is the true leader in our family.

BROOK: I would like to thank colleagues, friends, and family who have,
over decades of work in both the for-profit and nonprofit sectors, supported
or contributed to my own work on leadership. Too numerous to name are
the many professionals with whom, over the years, I have worked and
learned about leadership, both as a member of an organization (CBS Inc.,
McKinsey & Co., Saba Software, United Way Worldwide) and as an adviser
and coach to many others as clients. I also gained invaluable insights in re-
cent years from my three adult children (Sabrina, Laura, Martin) and their
spouses (Michael, Brian, and Elise)—all of whom are rising leaders in their
own professions. They helpfully shared relevant stories from their work
experiences with me, which stimulated my thinking; and they variously
commented more specifically on parts of our manuscript, which continued
to ground me in issues critical for today’s early-career professionals. And
finally I lovingly thank my wife and life partner, Margarita, whose consis-
tent support and patience with me through many years has enabled me to
write now “yet another book.”