Strategic Leadership

(Jacob Rumans) #1

ACKNOWLEDGMENTSACKNOWLEDGMENTS


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lthough this book has its roots in many forms of study and practice over
the years, it would not have been written without the generosity of the
Board of Trustees of the University of Richmond. When I completed a
decade of service and retired from the presidency, I was honored with appoint-
ment as chancellor, and a professorship carrying my name that enabled me to do
the initial research and writing required for the book. Austin Brockenbrough III
and Gilbert Rosenthal, rector and vice-rector respectively, as well as Elaine Yeatts,
Lewis Booker, and Robert Burrus, were the trustee leaders who proposed these
opportunities. I am deeply grateful for their support and friendship.
One of the university’s trustees, Robert Jepson, has been more instrumental in
this work than he knows. Early in my presidency at Richmond, he finalized a gift
of $20 million to create the Jepson School of Leadership Studies. The establish-
ment of the school was among the most satisfying aspects of my work, and it has
attracted an exceptionally talented group of faculty members and students. I owe
Bob Jepson my enduring gratitude for being a deeply generous benefactor, a vision-
ary leader, and a friend.
One of the reasons that this project has gone forward is the result of my teach-
ing seminars on the topic in the Jepson School. I am happy to express my sincere
thanks to my students for their lively involvement and responsiveness to many of
the concepts surrounding strategic leadership. One of my former students, Anne
Williamson, worked intensively with me for several weeks to begin to document
references and to shape the rough draft into a useful document. I am thankful
for her insights, efficiency, and encouragement. Another former student, Joshua
Parrett, served as a research assistant, summarized various studies, and ingeniously

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