What Got You Here Won’t Get You There
What Got You Here Won’t Get You There by Marshall Goldsmith
The difference between being very good and great is often a few degrees of change rather than a quantum leap.
Executive coach Marshall Goldsmith explores how subtle nuances make all the difference in the business world, especially transitioning from upper management to the executive level. These same nuances can impact relationships outside the workplace, such as in marriage or parenting.
Goldsmith is candid in outlining 20 interpersonal challenges that keep talented people from reaching the top. These behaviors, or “transactional flaws,” lead to negative perceptions that can hold back any executive.
- The need to win at all costs
- Having to add our two cents to every discussion
- Passing judgment
- Making destructive comments
- Overusing negative qualifiers: no, but, and however
- The need to show people we’re smarter than they think we are
- Speaking when angry
- Negativity
- Withholding information
- Inability to give praise or recognition
- Claiming credit that we don’t deserve
- Making excuses
- Clinging to the past
- Playing favorites
- Refusing to express regret
- Not listening
- Failing to express gratitude
- Punishing the messenger
- Passing the buck
- Exalting failures as virtues because they’re who we are
Unfortunately, Goldsmith finds most high achievers are disillusioned into thinking that their success is attributed to these bad behaviors. Therefore, they resist change.
Goldsmith’s remedy for these behaviors is simple: stop doing them. His solution for making the necessary changes is to gather feedback from appropriate colleagues and cohorts, determine which behaviors to change, apologize, advertise, listen, thank, and follow up, and practice feed-forward.
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