Preface

This book is good. It has lots of solid mind protein for leaders who are preparing themselves and others for tomorrow's challenges. The lead writer, Marshall Goldsmith, is known for his happy salutation, “Life is good.” So it is with this optimistic yet tough-minded book. It is good in several ways: The research was done by a very good team of top practitioners, scholars, and consultants (I am quite biased because I was privileged to be a member of the team), headed by two Accenture partners. Cathy Greenberg was a tireless leader of our various journeys and always the first to encourage us to let our thoughts leap out of the box. Alastair Robertson (now head of the worldwide leadership development practice for Stackhouse Garber & Associates) gave us a great leadership combination: wisdom and droll British humor, a lifesaving combination. The leaders interviewed as part of our research were very good indeed. They were forthcoming about their own deficits and thoughtful about the future. The resource sections at the end of each chapter, written by Maya Hu-Chan, add a practical, step-by-step, how-to-guide to becoming a global leader.

In my 35 years of leadership studies, often as a struggling practitioner, I saw the same problem again and again: good managers failing to grow into their leadership shoes and good leaders going stale. I wrote The Paradox of Success about this problem ten years ago, and alas it seems that the problem has gotten worse, not better (I can only hope my words didn't contribute to the deteriorating situation). One very definite cause of failure is would-be leaders focusing early on the wrong topics. They become specialists and then stop growing in their general wisdom.

How does this book set itself apart from other leadership books? First, it tackles the big problem of leadership entropy that can be solved only by vigorous, fresh learning. Most leaders do not have good mentors or coaches to point out or help with learning deficiencies. This book can help make up for that loss, although I cannot resist offering a plug for the good coaches and mentors. Soon you will know them by whether or not they embrace this research.

Second, the book offers clear data on where learning deficiencies exist for many leaders. The wise and time-restrained leader knows the value of such databased evidence and will benefit by examining and choosing from the wide range of topics the research respondents were willing to address. The subjects ranged from technical to highly personal and from the global to the close-to-home. It might be especially valuable for human resource and training professionals to see how their work and the programs they design can benefit from this book's research.

Finally, the research team never lost sight of the need to be practical, crosscultural, and organizationally diverse. The gift to the reader is that the book can be used in many ways. Some may engage in a typical, linear read. Others may jump from section to section. It is well organized for that purpose. Many readers, especially those charged with management development, will use this book as a reference. The good readers will be those most open to learning ventures. For them this book is catnip.

Enjoy the book, and remember that for those who keep learning, “life is truly good.”

—John O'Neil