Acknowledgments
T
HIS BOOK COULD NOT HAVE BEEN WRITTEN WITHOUT THE LOVING
support of my wife, Henrietta, who read every page of the manu-
script and helped me to say what I meant, nor without the many
practical insights I have gained from my son, Thomas.
I am particularly grateful for all those who have allowed me to
interview them in depth: Sir Bob Reid, friend and one of the most
experienced business leaders I know; Joyce Taylor, Managing Director
of Discovery Networks Europe; Lord Marshall, Chairman of British
Airways; Neil Chambers, Director of London’s Natural History
Museum; Will Hutton, Chief Executive of the Industrial Society,
author, and ex-Fleet Street Editor; Hilary Cropper, Chief Executive of
the FI Group plc; Chris Mellor, Group Managing Director of Anglian
Water; Zoe Van Zwanenberg, Chief Executive of the Scottish
Leadership Foundation; Jayne-Anne Gadhia, Managing Director of
Virgin One Account; Sir Michael Bichard, Permanent Secretary at
the Department for Education and Employment; and Professor Amin
Rajan, author, strategist, and Chief Executive of Create.
A number of people kindly read the manuscript and offered
me excellent advice: Dr Peter Honey, Managing Director of Peter
Honey Learning; John Grant, Co-Founder of St Luke’s and now
Owner Manager of The John Grant; Maryjo Scrivani and Michael
Joseph, Co-Directors of Partners in Learning; Mike Leibling,
Director of Trainset and formerly of Saatchi & Saatchi; Mark
Watson, Managing Director of Purple Works; and Professor Bob
Fryer, Assistant Vice-Chancellor of Southampton University and
the chief architect of Britain’s strategy for lifelong learning. Toby
Greany and Michelle Wake at the Campaign for Learning; Akber
Pandor, Head of Learning at KPMG; and Nicholas Brealey and Sue
Coll, my excellent publishers, have been particularly helpful with
the structure and title of the book and with many useful ideas.