Dear friends, In mid-1978, I was summoned to New York City to meet with the Managing Director of McKinsey & Co. When I did so, I was given an assignment. McKinsey developed genius strategies. But the clients by and large couldn’t implement them. What was going on? Answering that question, or trying to, has been my preoccupation ever since (45 years). After some initial interviews and a bit of press coverage, a book contract landed unbidden in my home mailbox in San Francisco. Then, after 1,000 twists, and 1,000 turns, and back steps as well, the book appeared. Title: In Search of Excellence. I traveled the world talking about my findings—2,500 speeches, 2,500,000 frequent-flier miles, 63 countries, and a life that bordered on pure exhaustion pretty much all the time. And then there were more books. 20 by last count, and a couple of dozen ebooks as well. Skip forward to November 7, 2022. My birthday. More specifically, my 80th birthday. That’s old, bro!…