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NEW RELEASE | July 2026

The Protector's Edge


Leadership Through Strategy And Action

When the next crisis hits, proximity won't save you.

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Leadership will.

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That's the argument at the heart of The Protector's Edge, written by Fred Burton, Chuck Randolph, and Jonathan Wackrow, three professionals whose careers span national security, military command, intelligence, and law enforcement.

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The threats have changed. Assassination culture, digital radicalization, reputational warfare, hybrid cyber-physical attacks: these aren't fringe concerns. They're daily realities. And yet too many security professionals are still trained to react when the moment calls for anticipating and advising long before a crisis lands.​

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The central thesis is deceptively simple: leadership is the ultimate form of protection. Unpacking that idea takes the whole book. By the end, it's hard to argue otherwise.

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Essential reading for protectors, security executives, and anyone who leads at the edge of uncertainty.

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Marc Polymeropoulos

CIA Senior Intelligence Service (retired) and current MSNow national security contributor.  

With a radically changing threat landscape, including the continuously evolving effect of the ubiquitous technical surveillance environment on the protection industry, this is a must read, an indispensable roadmap for leaders who understand that change is upon us, and we either adapt or fail.

John Miller

CNN Chief Law Enforcement and Intelligence Analyst;   Former Deputy Commissioner of Intelligence & Counterterrorism of the New York Police Department

This is not your father’s security business. In "The Protector’s Edge: Leadership Through Strategy and Action”, Burton, Randolph, and Wackrow take us into the currents of the threat-stream rapids. They give us a roadmap to intelligence to see problems on the horizon, tactics to confront them, and leadership to develop a team that is ready for all threats. These are “right now problems” which makes this a “right now read”.

Michael T. Evanoff

Former Assistant Secretary of State for Diplomatic Security

Author of High Value Target$

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Protectors Edge: Leadership Through Strategy and Action is a masterclass in leading under pressure from three exceptional security professionals who have actually lived it; blending real-world insights with timeless principles of trust, foresight, and resilience. It’s an essential read for anyone seeking to navigate high-stakes geopolitical environments with clarity, courage, and strategic influence."
About
"The future will not reward those who react the fastest, but those who think the farthest. Protection must become intelligence-led, data-informed, and purpose-driven."

Meet the Authors

"Leadership begins when protection moves beyond tactics and starts shaping outcomes."
-The Protectors Edge

Endorsements

Uncertainty will always exist, but what matters is how leaders prepare for it, who they include in navigating it, and how they sustain the people who carry it forward.’ Protectors Edge offers a practical, human-centered framework for enterprise security leadership rooted in stewardship rather than spectacle. Drawing on real-world experience across intelligence, technology, GSOCs, and executive protection, Randolph, Wackrow, and Burton show how protection enables trust, continuity, and sound decision-making. Grounded in ethics, inclusion, and a culture of care, this book meets leaders where they are and helps them grow into the kind of protectors their people and their organizations need for what comes next

Arian Avila

Corporate Safety & Security Executive;

co‑editor of Vocal Lanterns

© 2026 by J2 Strategies LLC.

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