Foreword

Everything rises and falls on leadership! That’s why I’ve been a student, a practitioner, and an advocate of leadership for more than thirty years. That’s also why I’m excited to introduce this third edition of The Secret: What Great Leaders Know and Do. Since its initial publication in 2004, this book has been translated into over twenty languages and has sold a half million copies around the globe. Clearly, the book has struck a chord in a world hungry for effective ideas on this important subject.

I’m not surprised that The Secret became a best seller. In fact, when I learned that Ken and Mark were collaborating on this project, I knew it would be a winner. Here’s why:

Ken has been thinking and writing about leadership for four decades. Just look at this list of titles: The One Minute Manager^®, Leadership and the One Minute Manager, Gung Ho!, Leading at a Higher Level, Raving Fans, and Whale Done! The list could go on and on, and I’m sure you’ve heard of many of these books (I hope you’ve read some of them as well). Ken has sold more than twenty million books—and counting. He is one of very few authors in history to have four titles on the Business Week best-seller list at one time. Ken has helped to shape the way our generation leads.

Mark has taken a different path. For more than thirty-five years, he has been part of the leadership team at one of America’s great organizations— Chick-fil-A, Inc., based in Atlanta, Georgia. Chick-fil-A is a quick-service restaurant company with more than 1,700 locations and sales over $5 billion annually. Currently, Mark serves as vice president for organizational effectiveness. I’ve had the privilege of speaking at the company’s annual meeting on two occasions, and these people get it! The Secret is no secret in this organization. It is at the heart of their success.

My challenge to you is simple: learn The Secret— then apply The Secret. If you do, your leadership and your life will be transformed forever.

—John C. Maxwell Best-selling author, speaker, and leadership expert