It Takes a Village:The People Behind Culture 4.0
- John R. Childress
- Apr 21
- 6 min read
It's the author who has the original idea, does the research, typing, and editing, but the challenging, refining, and the actual published book belongs to a much larger community.
Culture 4.0: The Future of Corporate Culture is the result of more than forty years of working alongside, listening to, and learning from some of the most talented and generous people I have encountered in business and life. It is their insights, their candor, and, in many cases, their hard-won experience of getting culture right (and sometimes spectacularly wrong) that give this book its substance.
My understanding of corporate culture is largely shaped by the openness and constant encouragement of many who advised and pushed me to develop sustainable solutions that improve people's lives and organizational performance.
As the book becomes publicly available in the UK on April 23 and in the US on June 23, I want to take a moment to name them properly and say, in public, what I have said to each of them in private: THANK YOU.
Where It All Began: The Foundation
Every career has its formative partnerships, and mine began with Dr. Larry E. Senn.
Dr. Larry E. Senn, Co-founder of the Senn-Delaney Leadership Consulting Group and the 'Father of Corporate Culture'. Larry was my partner for many years as we grew our consulting firm and developed tools and techniques for senior team alignment and culture change. His wise counsel and willingness to let a young person like me run with some yet unproven ideas are a testament to his vision and leadership. He is indeed the 'Father of Corporate Culture'. Larry gave me the platform, the tools, and the intellectual freedom to develop my own thinking. Without him, there is no consulting career, no book, and no Culture 4.0.
Alongside him, from the earliest days of Senn-Delaney, were many who made things happen when ideas alone were not enough:
Blackburn Costin, Retired Partner, Deloitte Consulting. When I first co-founded the Senn-Delaney Leadership Consulting Group, Blackburn was one of the first people I sought out to join our start-up company. Blackie makes things happen and is a great developer of others, pushing and coaching them to reach their potential, and beyond. Blackie and I worked on many consulting assignments together, and it was always a treat to watch him lead and coach others.
Rena D. Jordan, CFO and Partner, Senn-Delaney Leadership Consulting Group. Rena was the backbone of our growing consulting firm. Her skills in financial management, negotiating office leases, and developing staff allowed the consultants to focus on our client work and business development. She especially supported me in my role of President and CEO, teaching me the ins and outs of operations and finance. Without Rena, we would never have become a groundbreaking international consulting firm.
Dr. John A. Brady, The Wisdom Well Press. "John Brady was a key member of the Senn-Delaney Leadership Consulting Group team of talented consultants. His wisdom and sage advice to his clients helped deliver both personal growth and organizational transformation."
The Clients Who Became Teachers
If you spend forty years genuinely listening to clients rather than simply delivering to them, something remarkable happens: they teach you more than you teach them. Several of the leaders I have worked with over the decades shaped the ideas in Culture 4.0 in ways they may not fully realize.
Frank Tempesta, Retired President and CEO, Textron Systems Corporation. Frank and I first met when he was a Program Manager at TSC, and we worked together for 30 years as he took on greater leadership responsibilities, culminating in his role as President and CEO and a successful integration following a major acquisition. Frank taught me a great deal about selecting talent for leadership roles and implementing a high-performance culture.
Gerry Giudici, Barden Brook Capital, LLC. Gerry became a client when he took on his first CEO role, leading a multi-national defense manufacturing company. His understanding of the international business and cultural landscape was instrumental in shaping many of my ideas about global corporate culture.
Ian Walsh, Aerospace Industry Senior Executive. Ian was instrumental in building a culture of accountability and shared objectives to drive a turnaround at a failing aerospace engine manufacturing company. His enthusiasm for straightforward leadership was instrumental in rescuing a floundering company.
Demetrie Comnas, Retired Senior Executive, Chase Manhattan Bank. Demetrie and I had many thoughtful discussions in his London office about the value of culture and the importance of leadership. From him, I got an insider's view of life in the executive suite.
Raymond Osgood, International Executive and Business Consultant. Ray took over leadership of an international agricultural equipment manufacturer and knew that the turnaround would only succeed with an aligned management team and a culture of accountability. We worked together in Australia, where he taught me a lot about the intricacies of international businesses.
Each of these leaders gave me access to the real, unvarnished complexity of organizational life. Their companies were not case studies. They were living laboratories where culture either worked or didn't, and the consequences were measured in people's livelihoods and careers.
Specialists Who Expanded My Thinking
Culture 4.0 ventures into territory that requires me to go beyond my own expertise. Three people in particular were generous enough to pull me into their worlds and help me see culture through a sharper, more specialized lens.
Stephane Nappo, Internationally recognized cybersecurity leader and award-winning global Chief Information Officer. Stephane embraced my early ideas about approaching cyber security culture from an ecosystem perspective and helped me understand the critical importance of a strong cyber security culture.
Dr. Anna Abkowicz, Multicultural Transformation Leader with 30+ years of international executive experience in banking, IT risk, digital transformation, cybersecurity and crisis management. Anna truly understands and has lived the importance of culture and leadership in challenging international situations. I have admired her steely calm and tried to emulate it (not always successfully). She is a great role model of technical and cultural leadership.
Dave Olsen, Senior Vice President, Culture and Leadership Development (retired), Starbucks Coffee Company. I met Dave at a dinner party in Sun Valley, Idaho, and was inspired by his zeal for leadership and culture as key foundations of Starbucks' success. I have used several of his stories about Starbucks in Culture 4.0."
The People Who Made the Book Possible
Good ideas need advocates as well as authors. Two people in particular moved Culture 4.0 from manuscript to published reality.
Stephen M. R. Covey, New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Speed of Trust and Trust and Inspire. Stephen and I met several years ago as we shared the stage at a business conference. His ability to articulate the importance and impact of trust as a key cultural attribute inspired me to continue developing the ideas in Culture 4.0. I consider him a mentor and friend."
Steven D'Souza, Author of Shadows at Work and the award-winning Not Knowing trilogy. Steven believed enough in my work and ideas about a corporate culture ecosystem to introduce me to his publisher, LID Publishing. For that, I am ever grateful.
Closer to Home
And then there is the person who was there for every draft, every doubt, and every breakthrough.
Christiane Wuillamie, OBE, Founder of a highly successful international financial technology company. Throughout the writing of this book, Christiane has been a constant supporter and critic, relentlessly arguing for more examples and a clearer focus on accountability and leadership as key pillars to the corporate culture ecosystem model.
"Constant supporter and critic" understates it considerably. Christiane pushed me harder than any editor. She read every chapter, challenged every assumption she thought was too comfortable, and refused to let me settle. This book is sharper, clearer, and more honest because of her.
Thank You
The thoughts in this book are the result of a long career of working with, listening to, and learning from some very talented business leaders, HR professionals, and wise people. This is their book as much as it is mine.
To all of you named here, and to the many clients and colleagues whose names appear in the Acknowledgments section of the book itself, thank you. You gave me forty years of the best education a CEO and culture consultant could ask for. I hope Culture 4.0 does justice to what you taught me.
About John R. Childress
John R. Childress is a pioneering leadership advisor and corporate culture consultant with four decades of experience working with boards and executive teams across Fortune 500 and FTSE 250 organizations. He is co-founder of the Senn-Delaney Leadership Consulting Group, one of the first corporate culture consultancies, and Chairman of Pyxis Culture Technologies. His latest book, Culture 4.0: The Future of Corporate Culture (LID Publishing, 2026), explores how emerging forces, from AI and climate change to generational shifts, are reshaping the cultures organizations need to thrive. Learn more at www.johnrchildress.com.