Understanding the Hidden Signals of Burnout and Embracing Centered Leadership for Sustainable Success It’s 5 a.m. The executive is already rehearsing the
From screens to reality, marketing is evolving beyond clicks—ushering in a new era where artificial intelligence personalizes every interaction, blending digital precision
How a seasoned graphic designer blends strategy, storytelling, and inclusivity to create timeless, impactful visual identities Patricia Caruana is a graphic designer,
How regulatory innovation and blockchain technology are reshaping global financial infrastructure for a transparent and inclusive digital economy As digital assets continue
How a Book’s Opening Words Set the Tone, Signal Credibility, and Can Challenge Authors to Deliver Their Best Work
Most people skip the foreword of a nonfiction book. That’s not a scientifically confirmed fact — more of a well-founded observation drawn from a blend of artificial intelligence prompting and human inquiry. Let’s call it the “AI and May I?” method. After testing the idea through tech and talking to readers, one thing is clear: the foreword often gets overlooked, dismissed in favor of diving straight into the core content.
I used to do the same. That is, until I began writing books myself. Then, everything changed.
Why Forewords Deserve Attention
The moment I started authoring books, I gained an entirely new perspective on the foreword — and on the thoughtful, strategic choices that go into selecting the right person to write it. It’s not just a ceremonial preamble. It’s a crucial piece of the book’s architecture.
Authors use the foreword to set the stage, contextualize the content, and — when done well — amplify the credibility of what’s to come. The right foreword can grab the reader’s attention, deliver essential insights, and reflect the broader purpose of the book in just a few pages.
Personally, when deciding who should write a foreword, I ask two questions: 1. What do I want the foreword to accomplish? 2. Who is the best person to deliver that message?
A Look Back: Past Forewords and Purposeful Choices
For my 2016 book The Power of Peers, the goal was to highlight the power of CEO Forums. To convey the importance of these peer groups to executive readers, I invited Forbes publisher Rich Karlgaard to write the foreword — a trusted voice to make CEOs take notice.
In 2018’s What Anyone Can Do, I focused on actionable forward momentum. Enter Dan Hoffman, who had just introduced CircleSpace, the most advanced conversation platform of its kind. His foreword reflected a “what’s next” mindset aligned with the book’s premise.
Then came the first edition of Peernovation — a bridge between what high-performing peer groups do and how their principles apply to teams. Because the audience included both CEOs and HR leaders, I turned to Jeffrey Hayzlett, Founder and Chairman of the C-Suite Network. He delivered a foreword that underscored the book’s cross-functional value.
Each of these collaborators added credibility and relevance, elevating the reader experience from the very first page.
The Second Edition: A New Focus, A Legendary Voice
In Fall 2024, I began work on the second edition of Peernovation, with five new chapters and a new subtitle: Forged by CEO Forums. Perfected for Teams. But the bigger shift came in my thinking: What core principle lies at the heart of high-performing teams and forums alike?
The answer was immediate and undeniable: Psychological Safety.
That realization led me to a bold idea — to ask Dr. Amy C. Edmondson, the Harvard Business School professor who coined the term psychological safety in 1999, to write the foreword.
The Ask
I met Amy at the 2024 Academy of Management Annual Meeting in Chicago. We were part of a panel — thanks to Roman Terekhin from George Washington University — that blended academics and practitioners to discuss peer coaching groups.
Our interaction at the conference was brief but meaningful. It set the stage for a few email exchanges in the months that followed. As the new edition of Peernovation took shape, I knew I needed a foreword that wasn’t just updated, but that reframed the entire discussion through the lens of psychological safety.
So I reached out to Amy. I presented it as a two-stage process:
Would she be open to the idea?
After reading the manuscript, would she feel comfortable enough with the way I presented her work to write the foreword?
Two Miracles and a Masterpiece
To me, the request mirrored the mission in Top Gun: Maverick — achieving Miracle #1 and Miracle #2. If Amy said yes, I knew I’d be held to the highest standard in completing the book. And whether or not she ultimately agreed to write the foreword, her involvement would push me to produce my best work.
Amazingly, she said yes.
After reviewing the manuscript, Amy Edmondson sent a 1,273-word foreword — thoughtful, reflective, and rooted in her groundbreaking research. She not only validated the direction of the book, she helped elevate it.
Her contribution doesn’t just open the door to the topic — it walks the reader through it with depth and clarity.
Closing the Book with Purpose
While Amy’s foreword sets a powerful tone, Peernovation’s second edition closes just as strongly. The afterword, written by Prof. Dr. Amarendra Bhushan Dhiraj, Editor-in-Chief of CEOWORLD Magazine, delivers a succinct and resonant conclusion. Together, their voices serve as fitting bookends to a message about leadership, teamwork, and the evolving dynamics of group performance.
Final Takeaways
If there’s one thing this journey has taught me, it’s this: Don’t skip the foreword. In fact, read it before you even buy the book. It tells you not only what you’re about to read — but why it matters, and who stands behind it.
Second, never hesitate to ask. You might just get a “yes” — and it could lead to your best work yet.
In the spirit of transparency and inspiration, you can now read the Peernovation Second Edition’s foreword and afterword in full. Enjoy them — and never look at a foreword the same way again.
