Tuesday, March 20, 2007
“What Got You Here Won’t Get You There
“What Got You Here Won’t Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful”By Marshall Goldsmith (Hyperion, 2007)
In recent leadership literature, much has been written on the importance of focusing on strengths. And justifiably so. It’s futile to fight against our inborn personalities and unwise to overemphasize improvement of our technical weaknesses. We earn the greatest return by investing in our areas of strength.
However, one class of weaknesses cannot be ignored—interpersonal weaknesses. Relational flaws are the chink in the armor of the strongest leader. Debilitating behavioral deficiencies can strip a leader of his or her respect and effectiveness.
In What Got You Here Won’t Get You There, Marshall Goldsmith describes 20 toxic interpersonal habits which wreak havoc on a leader’s workplace relationships. Goldsmith’s brilliantly wraps a depth of wisdom in uncomplicated language, and he appeals to his readers to take action by setting out plain, logical steps toward stopping bad interpersonal behavior. Throughout the book, Goldsmith’s writing style captures profound concepts with ease and simplicity.
Ironically, the natural qualities that propelled a successful leader to the top may be responsible for holding him or her back from greatness. In Chapter Three: The Success Delusion or Why We Resist Change, Goldsmith sheds light on the inhibiting side-effects of successful personalities. This chapter lays the framework for the book with its penetrating look into the psyche of successful leaders.
In Chapter Four, Goldsmith walks the reader through each of 20 destructive relational habits of leaders. LW subscribers will find themselves nodding in agreement as they read about flaws which they recognize in a co-worker or are evident in their personal leadership. A sampling of the habits include…
#1: Winning Too MuchThe will to win is an asset for a competitive leader, but when unchecked, the desire to prevail degenerates into an excessive need to be right, “at all costs and in all situations.”
#10: Failing to Give Proper RecognitionA belief in the inevitability of personal success may give a leader a wealth of confidence. However, that same conviction may render a leader incapable of passing out credit or praise.
#16: Not ListeningA leader’s high self-estimation may enable him or her to readily take charge and be decisive, but the same quality becomes a liability if the leader refuses to be open to the ideas and opinions of others.
Goldsmith spends the latter half of the book laying out a practical plan to help readers eliminate the worst of their relational behaviors. His action plan for change is not revolutionary, but it does give much-needed reminders on what is required to break a bad habit. Of note, LW readers will want to peruse Chapter 10: Following Up, Chapter 11: Practicing Feedforward, and pages 188-189 on goal achievement.
After reading What Got You Here Won’t Get You There, it’s no wonder why Goldsmith holds a reputation as one of the most influential minds in modern-day leadership. He has a rare skill for distilling wisdom into simple, applicable advice. What Got You Here Won’t Get You There delivers accessible content and sounds a call for simple, but pivotal, behavioral changes.
Any Comments or Inputs are welcome
In recent leadership literature, much has been written on the importance of focusing on strengths. And justifiably so. It’s futile to fight against our inborn personalities and unwise to overemphasize improvement of our technical weaknesses. We earn the greatest return by investing in our areas of strength.
However, one class of weaknesses cannot be ignored—interpersonal weaknesses. Relational flaws are the chink in the armor of the strongest leader. Debilitating behavioral deficiencies can strip a leader of his or her respect and effectiveness.
In What Got You Here Won’t Get You There, Marshall Goldsmith describes 20 toxic interpersonal habits which wreak havoc on a leader’s workplace relationships. Goldsmith’s brilliantly wraps a depth of wisdom in uncomplicated language, and he appeals to his readers to take action by setting out plain, logical steps toward stopping bad interpersonal behavior. Throughout the book, Goldsmith’s writing style captures profound concepts with ease and simplicity.
Ironically, the natural qualities that propelled a successful leader to the top may be responsible for holding him or her back from greatness. In Chapter Three: The Success Delusion or Why We Resist Change, Goldsmith sheds light on the inhibiting side-effects of successful personalities. This chapter lays the framework for the book with its penetrating look into the psyche of successful leaders.
In Chapter Four, Goldsmith walks the reader through each of 20 destructive relational habits of leaders. LW subscribers will find themselves nodding in agreement as they read about flaws which they recognize in a co-worker or are evident in their personal leadership. A sampling of the habits include…
#1: Winning Too MuchThe will to win is an asset for a competitive leader, but when unchecked, the desire to prevail degenerates into an excessive need to be right, “at all costs and in all situations.”
#10: Failing to Give Proper RecognitionA belief in the inevitability of personal success may give a leader a wealth of confidence. However, that same conviction may render a leader incapable of passing out credit or praise.
#16: Not ListeningA leader’s high self-estimation may enable him or her to readily take charge and be decisive, but the same quality becomes a liability if the leader refuses to be open to the ideas and opinions of others.
Goldsmith spends the latter half of the book laying out a practical plan to help readers eliminate the worst of their relational behaviors. His action plan for change is not revolutionary, but it does give much-needed reminders on what is required to break a bad habit. Of note, LW readers will want to peruse Chapter 10: Following Up, Chapter 11: Practicing Feedforward, and pages 188-189 on goal achievement.
After reading What Got You Here Won’t Get You There, it’s no wonder why Goldsmith holds a reputation as one of the most influential minds in modern-day leadership. He has a rare skill for distilling wisdom into simple, applicable advice. What Got You Here Won’t Get You There delivers accessible content and sounds a call for simple, but pivotal, behavioral changes.
Any Comments or Inputs are welcome
