LIVE AUDIO RECORDING | IAN ZISKIN

“Here and Gone”

Here and Gone Song by Ian ZiskinLives Lost and Leadership Found: Lessons from Special Somebodies lead author Ian Ziskin performs the song he wrote to honor his father, mother, and brother with the hope that listeners see and hear a little bit of themselves and their lost loved one(s) in these words.

Listen to an MP3 of this song.

You were here and now you’re gone

            Left the world in a hurry

I’m still here but not alone

            We’re feeling strong so don’t worry

                        Here and gone

The expressions on your faces

            Light up the edges of my mind

Imagination takes me places

            Crystal clear, yet ill-defined

                        Here and gone, you were here and gone

I can hear the timbre of your voices

            And the echoes of your laughter

Joys and worries and tough choices

            Lessons from before and after

                        Here and gone

You were here and now you’re gone

            Left the world in a hurry

I’m still here but not alone

            We’re feeling good so don’t worry

                        Here and gone

I miss you my father

            And the time we never had

I miss you my brother

            All the good and the bad

I miss you my mother

            But I will not be scared

You taught me the power of advocacy

            To take good care of family

Respect all but fear none

            Never give up until the work is done

                        Here and gone, you were here and gone

Give a lot more than you take

            Be the best you can be and own your mistakes

Care too much, bring the good stuff

            Cherish love and time … they fade away… and are never enough

                        Here and gone

I thank you my father

            For inspiring my dreams

I thank you my brother

            For believing in our schemes

I thank you my mother

            For the gift of self esteem

                        Here and gone

You were here and now you’re gone

            Left the world in a hurry

I’m still here but not alone

            We’re feeling loved so don’t worry

            We’re feeling good so don’t worry

            We’re feeling strong so don’t worry

Here and gone

            You were here and now you’re gone

“Here and Gone” written and performed by Ian Ziskin. © Copyright 2025 by Ian Ziskin—All Rights Reserved.

Praise for the Book
Lives Lost and Leadership Found: Lessons from Special Somebodies Book Cover

“The gifts of this book lie not only in its beautiful tributes to special people no longer with us but also in its reminder to take stock of those in our lives who are still teaching, still sharing, and still shaping who we are. I am reminded that tomorrow is never promised for anyone, and to take full advantage of these great gifts of our heroes with a greater sense of urgency.”—Kevin Cox, President, LKC Advisory and former CHRO, General Electric and American Express

“Lives Lost and Leadership Found: Lessons from Special Somebodies is a poignant reminder that we learn leadership not from a book or a class but from a lifetime of relationships with family, mentors, and colleagues. It is a wonderful reminder that we should continue to engage fully with people we are close to and understand the very positive impact they have on our lives.”—Chris Kastner, President and CEO, HII

“Having read many books on leadership, this book has made a unique impact unlike all those before it. By sharing their most intimate leadership stories, these authors have successfully given us relatable leadership lessons crafted in accessible and interesting personal stories. Like me, you may find yourself passing on some of these valuable lessons to others.” —Daniel Marsili, President, The National Academy of Human Resources, former CHRO, Colgate-Palmolive Company

“In a poignant testament to loved ones lost, Ian Ziskin and his contributing authors have captured how losing a special somebody molds our character and elevates our leadership. This anthology of personal insights has better informed my emotional journey of dealing with loss, inspiring me with valuable leadership lessons gleaned from the experiences of others who have lost special somebodies.” —Alan May, Retired CHRO, Hewlett Packard Enterprise

“Lives Lost and Leadership Found offers a truly unique perspective on valuable lessons about life and leadership. Not only do these powerful learnings come from lost loved ones and the people who experienced the loss, but their stories represent highly practical insights from many people who might not traditionally be thought of as leaders.”—Dr. Ronald D. Sugar, Chairman Emeritus, Northrop Grumman Corporation, and Past and Current Board Director, Amgen, Apple, Chevron, and Uber

“Many books provide ideas, tools, and actions to improve leadership. This remarkable book also touches the heart by sharing how very personal experiences with loss shape identity and leadership. It leads to reflection as much as instruction. It helped me, thanks.” —Dave Ulrich, Rensis Likert Professor, Ross School of Business (retired), Partner, The RBL Group

Pre-ordering coming soon. Please, fill out our form so we can notify you when pre-ordering becomes available.

Contact us to inquire about interviews, panel discussions, and speaking engagements with Ian Ziskin and/or our contributing authors.

Preview elements of the book: front cover, table of contents, chapter descriptions, and download our book flyer (.pdf).

About Ian Ziskin

Ian Ziskin

Ian Ziskin, President of EXec EXcel Group LLC, has more than 43 years of experience as a business leader, board advisor and member, coach, consultant, CHRO, entrepreneur, teacher, speaker, and author. His client base and corporate work span more than 25 industries and includes Fortune 1000, entrepreneurial, publicly traded, and privately held businesses.

Ian is widely recognized as a trusted advisor to CEOs, C-Level executives, operating and HR leaders, and board members. He is Co-Founder of the Consortium for Change (C4C), a community network of coaches and consultants, and was also Co-Founder of the CHREATE Project, designed to address the future of work and HR. Ian has been an Adjunct Professor at the Binghamton University School of Management MBA program, where he taught leadership and HR.

Ian Ziskin’s global business leadership experience includes 28 years in Chief Human Resources Officer and/or other senior leadership roles with three Fortune 100 corporations: Northrop Grumman, Qwest Communications, and TRW. He has also served on numerous Boards of Directors and Advisory Boards for organizations including National Academy of Human Resources (NAHR), SeekOut, SucceedSmart, Randstad Risesmart, Humantelligence, Allegis Partners, Axion Health, Executive Networks, SHRM Foundation, USC Center for Effective Organizations, USC Marshall School of Business, HR Policy Association, Center for Advanced Human Resource Studies (CAHRS) at Cornell University, Personnel Round Table, and Human Resources People & Strategy.

He has held appointments as an Executive in Residence at the Binghamton University School of Management, Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations, and USC Center for Effective Organizations. His current pro bono work includes teaching and coaching CHROs at the National Academy of Human Resources and leading the HR HeRoes Academy for early-career HR leaders, among other projects.

Ian has written or co-edited five books, Lives Lost and Leadership Found: Lessons from Special Somebodies (2025), The Secret Sauce for Leading Transformational Change (2022), Black Holes and White Spaces: Reimagining the Future of Work and HR with the CHREATE Project (2018), THREE: The Human Resources Emerging Executive (2015), and WillBe: 13 Reasons WillBe’s are Luckier than WannaBe’s (2011), and he is a contributing author to The End of Jobs by Jeff Wald (2020), The Rise of HR: Wisdom From 73 Thought Leaders edited by Dave Ulrich, et. al. (2015), and The Chief HR Officer: Defining the New Role of Human Resource Leaders, edited by Pat Wright, et.al. (2011). He has written dozens of articles, blogs, and book chapters on the future of work, HR, and leadership, as well as on coaching and HR’s role with boards of directors, among other topics. He is also a frequent podcast guest.

Ian has a Master of Industrial and Labor Relations degree from Cornell University, where he held a research and teaching assistantship based on scholastic achievement, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Management from Binghamton University, where he graduated magna cum laude. In 1988, Human Resource Executive magazine named Ian one of 12 “Up and Comers in HR.” In 2007, he was elected a Fellow of the National Academy of Human Resources, considered to be the highest honor in the HR profession. Most recently, Ian has been recognized as a Top 100 HR thought leader by peopleHum and Engagedly.