Dan Pontefract

Today is “pub day,” one where an author annoys his or her network about the release of a new book.

While I may be proud of releasing OPEN TO THINK—and it’s become a bestseller in a few Amazon categories, so that’s kinda nice—it would never have come to be if it were not for the people I had the fortune of interviewing and corresponding with over a three-year period. It becomes a (good?!?) leadership/management book only when their insights, stories, and lessons learned can be shared with the reader and thus included in the final manuscript. They are the type of people who I look up to as leaders in life. Not only are they generous with their time, but they are also giving of their heart and mind. For that, I am eternally grateful. My thanks to the following amazing people, each of them with a story or two in the book.

Mark Mattson – for his mindful, attentive, ruthless, and humane way of thinking.
James Stewart – for indicating how thinking is iterative, not stagnant.
James Perry – for demonstrating the passion to adjust, to always continuously improve.
Tania Miller – for illustrating the need to be flexible in the moment of conducting.
Marc Kielburger – for delivering an anti-BHAG lesson for the ages.
Alison Galloway – for proving that listening is a critical element to thinking.
Eric Jordan – for introducing the concept of “bets” in our thinking.
Greg Moore – for being humble, allowing us to learn from our quick-decision mistakes.
Dominic Reid – for providing team members ‘top cover’ to practice their thinking.
Dave Gray – for reiterating the need for space and time in our thinking.
Lisa Helps – for pitching the need to be empathetic as we make decisions and take action.
Tim Hockey – for the humility to show how important it is to treat others with dignity.
Kathryn Calder – for not being afraid to highlight the importance of getting stuck.
Sameer Patel – for helping us understand the need to listen to the undercurrents.
Joel Plaskett – for reminding us to stop staring at our phones all day.
Eva Clayton – for demanding we remain holistic, taking into consideration everything.
Brian Scudamore – for the importance of making white space in our calendars.
Jonathan Becher – for admonishing the ‘bias for action’ in our organizations.
Yong Zhao – for pushing educators to contemplate the Open Thinking movement.
Peter Gilmore – for the wonderful metaphor of chefs as Open Thinkers.
John Dalla Costa – for deep insights into a shift to know why instead of simply what.
Adele Diamond – for her work on the importance of executive functions.
Rohan Light – for reminding me about “cognitive”
Dion Hinchcliffe – for sharing his very successful learning and thinking model.
Elango Elangovan – for embedding his work on callings into the importance of Open Thinking.
Allen Devine – for pushing the boundaries of being a dreamer.
Kyna Leski – for highlighting the critical importance of the ‘passing glance.’
Daniel Levitin – for being so generous, and teaching me about automaticity.
Brianna Wettläufer – for pinpointing the need to be collaborative as an Open Thinker.
Karl Moore – for our coffee chats, and your work ethic as an Open Thinker.
Charlene Li – for reminding us of the need to have deadlines if we want to get things done.
Mike Desjardins – for the life lesson of checking out and enjoying a reading week.
Gord Downie – for the timeless piece of advice to write down the things that pop into your head.
Karyn Ruiz – for just being so awesome. Who knew hat milliners were the original open thinkers?

It is my honour to have you associated with OPEN TO THINK. Furthermore, there were six people who were kind enough to read advance copies of the book and provide an endorsement. They are the shining lights of change in the leadership/management space. A big thanks to:

Roger L. Martin - the Thinkers50 #1 ranked thinker, and author of such classics as THE OPPOSABLE MIND and FIXING THE GAME
Daniel H. Pink - world renown author of such books as WHEN, DRIVE, and A WHOLE NEW MIND
Whitney Johnson - critically acclaimed author of BUILD AN A-TEAM and DISRUPT YOURSELF, and a Thinkers50 Leading Management Thinker
Rita Gunter McGrath - professor at Columbia Business School and author of THE END OF COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE
Dorie Clark - author of ENTREPRENEURIAL YOU and STAND OUT, and adjunct professor at Duke University Fuqua School of Business
Michael Bungay Stanier - Wall Street Journal best-selling author of THE COACHING HABIT

And finally, while he is listed above, I want to thank Roger L. Martin one more time. He provided invaluable feedback to the draft manuscript. His counsel and suggestions made the book that much better. Thank you, Roger. Canada--and indeed the world--looks up to your incredible thinking talents.

While You're Here...

I call it Open Thinking, the return to a balanced archetype of reflection and action; the poised intertwining of Creative, Critical and Applied Thinking. Full details are found in my new book, OPEN TO THINK: Slow Down, Think Creatively, and Make Better Decision s, now available for purchase. It is time to rethink our thinking.