What made The Beatles great? Ask my neighbor Dan. | Hamer

Published 1:50 pm Monday, May 4, 2026

Do you remember Feb. 9, 1964? My friend and neighbor Dan Absher certainly does. He wrote:

“When I was just five years old, my family gathered around a black-and-white television to watch ‘The Ed Sullivan Show’ to get our first glimpse of The Beatles. … The sound, energy, and charisma emanating from those four lads from Liverpool blew me away. … Thus began my lifelong fascination with the enduring excellence of the Fab Four.”

He continues: “The Beatles have been a part of nearly every significant event in my life: weddings, the birth of my children, anniversaries, birthdays, graduations, and memorial services. In good times and bad, The Beatles have provided a soundtrack for my life. What is miraculous is that this is not unique to me — it is universal. The Beatles have touched lives throughout the world in similar ways.”

That’s how Absher begins “In My Life,” the preface to his remarkable new book, “The Fab Four – Pillars of Impact.” Its subtitle is “Building Dynamic Teams The Beatles’ Way.”

Although we’ve been neighbors for more than 25 years, I didn’t know that Dan was writing a book until a few months ago. When he did a reading at Island Books, I went to hear him. About 20 people were there, including some of his family and friends. It blew me away. Dan began by saying: “What if the secret for building dynamic teams has been hiding in plain sight for 60 years?” Noting that The Beatles “changed the world” by creating a “life cycle of excellence,” he added that we can all apply that to our own projects.

“This is a book about the ability of teams to create excellence — whether the teams are family, business, friends, companies, nonprofit organizations – or even a country.”

I listened in fascination, because for the past few years my other neighbors and I worked with Dan and his wife, Daria, on a shared-waterfront restoration project that required an extraordinary amount of planning, design, negotiation, regulation, permitting and fine-tuning. It took us several years, but we finally completed the project with a new dock, a sandy beach front, a large-rock bulkhead, natural plantings, safe stairs and paths, a picnic table, and a renovated storage shed. Through the whole lengthy and often frustrating process, Dan was a calm and constructive leader, listening to all sides and seeking compromises among the owners of six houses that share the waterfront. It wasn’t easy. I greatly admired Dan’s equanimity, sensitivity and wisdom. We found common ground (and water) thanks in large part to his leadership. And somehow we all remained friends.

In retrospect, I realized that Dan’s book about The Beatles accurately describes what we accomplished.

His four “pillars of impact” are:

1. Right People, Right Seats: The Beatles “assembled the right people for their team and defined clear roles for the members of the group.” We did that, even though some homes changed owners over the years.

2. Catalytic Vision: The Beatles “created a compelling goal that drove extraordinary commitment” and complemented it “with a series of interim goals.” We did that: Our vision was a natural beachfront (the old bulkhead and docks were failing) that would be inviting and accessible for children and grandchildren — plus meet all the city, county, state, tribal, federal, environmental, and other rules and regulations.

3. Esprit de Corps: The Beatles “fostered a unique team spirit that elevated their work through humor and fun.” We did that through regular meetings at Dan’s home plus picnics and parties at the beachfront, roasting hot dogs and marshmallows around the firepit. (Wine helped!)

4. The Magical Mystery: The Beatles “leveraged synergy and serendipity to create something unique that was greater than the sum of its parts.” Well, we sort of did that as we brainstormed design ideas and discussed possible features such as a pergola, accessible paths, a kayak rack, a carved tree stump and maybe (TBD) a small sauna.

As Dan wrote:

“I’ve observed that truly exceptional organizations and teams share certain characteristics. They have clear visions. They assemble the right people and put them in positions to succeed. They foster a culture of both collaboration and healthy competition. And they remain open to unexpected opportunities.” We actually did all that — although we didn’t realize that we were following in the footsteps of the world’s most successful band.

How did Dan reach this extraordinary level of insight on team achievement? He grew up in Sumner, graduated from Stanford University in 1980 and Notre Dame Law School in 1983. He practiced law for two years before joining the family construction business started by his grandfather. He spent 32 years as CEO of Absher Construction, where he remains as board chair. He and his wife, Daria, also a Notre Dame Law School graduate, live on the Island with their dog, Ringo.

In addition, Dan spent several years as assistant basketball coach at Mercer Island High School under the legendary coach Ed Pepple. He shares some of the wisdom he learned from Coach Pepple in the book.

In another life-changing event, during the COVID pandemic in 2020, Dan was in the hospital for back surgery and went into cardiac arrest. He literally died on the operating table. A defibrillator brought him back to life. He then underwent triple bypass surgery. After his recovery, he decided to oversee an employee stock ownership plan for his company, stepped down as CEO and determined to spend more time with his wife, family and friends — plus more time writing.

As I told Dan during lunch at Allister the other day, I am in awe of his accomplishments. The innovative book has been favorably reviewed in several places and deserves wide readership. I can’t recommend it highly enough.

Special bonus: Dan and his team also created the “Fab Four Academy,” which is a daily email focused on a Beatles song with a brief history and a link to an audio performance. They are both nostalgic and inspiring. Go to fabfouracademy.com for these “words of wisdom.” Let it be!

As I told Dan, I plan to use all of The Beatles’ “pillars of impact” in my latest project: the Friends of Dragon Park coalition that is helping the city with the renovation of Deane’s Children’s (Dragon) Park. We have a great team, a catalytic vision, esprit de corps, and several early signs of magical mystery, synergy and serendipity.

We’ll gather soon for a summer potluck (maybe at the new beachfront) and play lots of Beatles music. My favorites: “Come Together,” “We Can Work It Out,” “In My Life,” and “All You Need is Love.” Imagine that!

Mercer Island resident John Hamer (jhamer46@gmail.com) is a former editorial writer/columnist for The Seattle Times, an active member of Mercer Island Rotary, and convener of the Friends of Dragon Park coalition. He and his wife, Mariana Parks, have lived together on Mercer Island for 26 years and have four grandchildren living nearby, including disabled grandson Ford Parks.