What Got You Here Won’t Get You There Marshall Goldsmith Book Summary:
Marshall Goldsmith is considered by many – the best leadership coach and leadership thinker in the world. His book What Got You Here Won’t Get You There – is an international bestseller. Here is What Got You Here Won’t Get You There-Marshall Goldsmith-Book summary. In this book, Marshall Goldsmith shares his advice for successful leaders.
To reach the next level of success, leaders have to overcome the ineffective habits that hold them back.
What Got You Here Won’t Get You There Book Summary: Section One: The Trouble With Success
Successful leaders become successful because of a certain set of beliefs. Unfortunately, the same set of beliefs holds them back from going to the next level of success.
For example – confidence in their own ability allows leaders to achieve success. But when this confidence turns into arrogance, the leader stops listening to others and often overrates his/her own contribution to the team’s success while underestimating the help he may get from the team or from benevolent circumstances.
Read: The FAILURE story of the legendary Henry Ford and the lesson for leaders
Any feedback that does not fit with the leader’s “inflated and distorted” mental image of themselves is dismissed. In a world where things are constantly changing – not listening, not accepting feedback, treating others unfairly, etc. – becomes a death trap for the leader and unknowingly the leader sabotages his or her own career advancement.
What Got You Here Won’t Get You There Book Summary: Section Two: The Twenty Habits That Hold You Back From The Top
Marshall Goldsmith has identified 20 habits of successful leaders that they need to STOP. Marshall Goldsmith had worked with management guru Peter Drucker and quotes him as saying –
“We spend a lot of time helping leaders learn what to do. We do not spend enough time teaching leaders what to stop. Half of the leaders I have met don’t need to learn what to do. They need to learn what to stop.”
As human beings, we may be guilty of most of these habits at some point in time or another. It is OK, that is just part of being human. However, for many leaders, a handful of these habits are done with such frequency and intensity that they become a problem for people around them. Leaders need not worry about stopping ALL of these habits but identify 1-2 which have become a behavioral bottleneck for their future success.
Here are the 20 ineffective habits of leaders as per What Got You Here Won’t Get You There-Marshall Goldsmith-Book summary
1. Winning too much:
Leaders often have an obsession to win. This drive to win is what makes them successful. Over time, winning becomes a habit. When taken to the extreme, wanting to win becomes an obsession! They want to win when it matters when it is trivial, and when it makes no sense at all. It is OK to let other people “win”. Leaders should not make it all about themselves and their victory.
2. Adding too much value:
People often come to the leader to seek advice. Leaders are used to solving problems that people bring. Giving instructions and advice is part of their job. The problem is when this goes to the extreme. When leaders hear ideas from other people, they have a tendency to add their two cents worth to the idea. It is often annoying for other people. Employees commit more to their own ideas. When they get unsolicited advice, that commitment to execute the idea goes down significantly.
3. Passing judgment:
Every individual is different. How they think, what they value, and how they make decisions are different. In fact, no two individuals are exactly alike. Leaders often want to evaluate others from their own standards and consider others inferior who do not measure up to these arbitrary standards. For example – if a leader is an early riser, they may believe that anyone who wakes up late is a slacker! A good leader allows people to do things their own way, as long they reach the same goal. A good leader does not impose their way of doing things on others.
4. Making destructive comments:
When a leader says bad things about others, it derails the morale of the people around him. Leaders often disguise derogatory remarks as sarcasm or humor. It hurts other’s feelings although the leader may think they sound witty. Calling names, insulting people, labeling others is a severe drag to the engagement and productivity of the entire team.
5. Starting with “No,” “But,” or “However”:
Let’s say a team member suggests a new idea. The leader’s next sentence may start with no it won’t work, or but this idea has problems, or I have heard your ideas – however, it hasn’t worked in the past. When leaders reply starting with one or more of these words – they essentially say that whatever the other person said is incorrect and the leader’s opinion is correct. Instead of replying with one of these words – just say “that is an interesting idea”.
6. Telling the world how smart we are:
This bad habit feeds the ego of the leader. An egoistic leader’s major chunk of communication is often aimed at two things –
1. Talking about how smart the leader is or
2. How others are not so smart!
Both these activities waste time and reduce engagement. Leaders simply need to stop this habit.
7. Speaking when angry:
Leaders often excuse their losing their temper as a tool for managing and controlling people, but it is a crude method and does a lot of harm. It is disrespectful and dehumanizing. Today’s workforce includes millennials, gen x, and gen z employees. They simply won’t tolerate such behaviors. There is no excuse for losing your temper.
8. Negativity, or “Let me explain why that won’t work:
Leaders have to inspire others to try new things. Negativity is exactly the opposite of that. When someone brings up a new idea or different way of doing things – leaders unknowingly dismiss it by saying – “let me explain why that won’t work”. A leader’s job is to inspire new ideas and innovation, this habit simply stifles it. A simple reply – “that is an interesting idea/perspective” is a much better option.
9. Withholding information:
In the industrial age, the leader’s power came from controlling information and resources. Many leaders still practice this bad habit of withholding information. In today’s VUCA business world, free flow of information and ideas is essential for success. Not passing on the information down the line to gain an advantage over others is a bad habit that decreases team engagement and productivity.
10. Failing to give proper recognition:
Appreciation and recognition are tools in a leader’s arsenal that are powerful motivators and cost nothing. The most basic form of disrespect is not giving proper recognition for a job well done. It is demotivating for the team when a leader holds back well-deserved recognition.
Which of these 20 career-derailing habits do you (or leaders in your company) have?
The best way to find out the ineffective habits and leadership bottlenecks that hold you or the leaders in your organization is to do a 360-degree assessment of all leaders. We offer the 360-degree assessment designed by Dr. Marshall Goldsmith. It is the Global Leadership Assessment or GLA 360.
11. Claiming credit that we don’t deserve:
It is one thing not to give recognition. However, it is really offensive and demoralizing to take credit for good work done by others. A good leader does exactly the opposite. She gives credit to the team for success and achievement. In the end, the team’s success automatically reflects upon the leaders’ success.
12. Making excuses:
Leaders often fall prey to making excuses for their actions and behaviors. If a leader comes late to a meeting and then blames the traffic or the executive assistant, people see right through these excuses. Making excuses erodes trust and respect. Taking responsibility is the cure for this bad habit.
13. Clinging to the past:
Blaming people and circumstances from the past for their problems or failure in the present is a bad leadership habit according to Marshall Goldsmith. Often it is fashionable to blame parents or upbringing or environment for our behaviors. But as successful adults, we need to take responsibility for our present actions instead of blaming the past.
14. Playing favorites:
Leaders often like people who have a similar background, similar working style, and those who “suck up” to them. This is human nature – birds of a feather stay together! But as a leader, this alienates others who may deliver results but are not the leader’s favorites – because they are not similar or they don’t suck up! Without diversity, inclusion, and belonging – the team will always perform below their potential.
15. Refusing to express regret:
If a leader’s behavior or action causes inconvenience or harm to others, the obvious thing to do is to apologize. However, leaders have difficulty doing so. It is human to make mistakes. Not apologizing for accidental or intentional errors causes resentment in others and degrades the brand value of the leader.
16. Not listening:
Listening is a key leadership skill. Leaders often climb the ladder due to their technical ability and telling and instructing others what to do. But as a leader, when you have to get work done through others, not listening means a lower level of trust and less commitment from the team members. Not listening conveys that your thoughts and ideas are not important to the leader. It basically says – “you are not important enough for me to listen to you”.
17. Failing to express gratitude:
Saying thank you doesn’t cost anything and motivates the team members – leaders often have a difficult time expressing gratitude. An inspiring leader never misses a chance to acknowledge others’ contributions and appreciate them publicly.
A person who feels appreciated will do more than what is expected.
18. Punishing the messenger:
When someone delivers bad news, leaders get upset and punish the messenger. Eventually, people stop bringing any unpleasant news to the leader. As a leader, you’d want to know of things that aren’t going as per plan, as soon as possible. When a leader punishes the messenger of bad news, she may be the last person on the team to know when things are off track.
19. Passing the buck:
Dr. Marshall Goldsmith says that it is fashionable in the Western world to blame, parents, society, upbringing, media, Hollywood, and more for how people turn out! As an adult, and as a leader, we need to take responsibility of our current actions, no matter what happened in the past. When things go wrong, leaders blame other people or circumstances instead of taking responsibility.
20. An excessive need to be “me”:
Using the excuse – “This is how I am” – means that a leader is defending a bad habit and there can be no improvement. The first step to any change and improvement is awareness of the habit. The second step is acceptance of the issue. When a leader says “this is how I am” – there is little chance of improvement.
How do you help leaders overcome their ineffective habits?
One of the best ways to help leaders overcome their ineffective habits is through the executive coaching process designed by Dr. Marshall Goldsmith himself. Marshall Goldsmith’s Stakeholder Centered Coaching (MGSCC for short) is based on the book – What got you here won’t get you there – and delivers guaranteed and measurable leadership growth. It also helps improve the performance of the team and aids the leader’s career growth.
What Got You Here Won’t Get You There Book Summary: Section Three: How We Can Change For The Better
Marshall Goldsmith introduces the concept of feedforward. In Corporate culture, everyone is aware of the process of feedback and performance reviews. Feedback talks about what we have done in the past. It often invokes guilt, defensiveness, and resistance. Feedforward is asking for suggestions for the future instead of discussing the past. What can I do in the future to get better at whatever area you are trying to improve? This creates hope, possibility, and enthusiasm to try to improve. Marshall Goldsmith’s feedforward is one of the best tools available for leaders to get better.
Below are the three steps to use Feedforward for behavioral improvement
Based on what got you here won’t get you there book summary here are the steps
1. Decide on a single behavior you would like to improve upon. Pick a behavior that you do often and improving it would make a significant difference.
2. Approach your team members individually and ask them – “I am working on improving my behavior in this area. Can you give me two suggestions on what I can do soon to improve in this area?”. No discussion about the past, only suggestions for the future!
3. Listen carefully to the suggestions and note them down. Do not defend or justify your behavior. Don’t even say “good suggestion” or “bad suggestion”. Just reply with a “Thank you” or “Thank you for your suggestions”
The leader then picks to act on a few of these suggestions during their day-to-day interaction with the team. At the end of the month, the leader asks the team members for feedback for acting on their suggestions – How did I do? He also asks what else can I do in the next month to improve.
This process of feedback and feedforward is repeated until the leader’s behavior AND the team members’ perception has changed and they achieve success.
What Got You Here Won’t Get You There Book Summary: Section Four: Pulling Out the Stops
Here are some rules to keep in mind to ensure success in changing leadership behaviors
- This process works for behavioral change only. It will not help the leader to gain technical knowledge or skills.
- There is no need to change every single one of the 20 habits. Pick one or two that will make the biggest difference.
- Understand that it takes courage to admit you need to change. It also takes a lot of time, energy, and effort to successfully change.
- Be open to receiving candid feedback.
- Don’t worry about being perfect! Human beings are flawed and they make mistakes. It is OK!
- To change any behavior, we must measure it.
- It really helps to monetize the results. Use small amounts of money as a fine or punishment for bad behavior. As leaders have a tendency to want to win, this helps them accelerate the behavior change.
- The best time to change is now. We will always have something or other that is perceived as urgent. The fact remains that if we wait for the right time to change, we may wait forever.
Marshall Goldsmith’s book What Got You Here Won’t Get You There is one of the best books on leadership development. Marshall Goldsmith’s Stakeholder Centered Coaching method (based on the book) delivers guaranteed and measurable leadership development. It is one of the best executive coaching programs. Unlike other executive coaching programs – we would work on specific areas for the leaders to develop and deliver measurable and guaranteed leadership growth – not judged by us, but rather judged by the leader’s stakeholders.
Read: What are the best executive coaching programs? Which are the top executive coaching firms?
Don’t just read the book – apply it – as what got you here won’t get you there!
Marshall Goldsmith has developed the executive coaching program based on the best-selling book – What got you here won’t get you there. It helps leaders realize what are their leadership bottlenecks. Overcoming them allows the leaders to achieve the next level of success
We offer Marshall Goldsmith coaching worldwide both virtually and in person through our certified coaches. It is the best coaching program in India Asia Middle East Europe United States Australia -because it is exactly the same executive coaching process used by Marshall Goldsmith to coach CEOs of Fortune 500 companies worldwide and we guarantee measurable leadership growth or you don’t pay at all.
Here are some features of the Marshall Goldsmith executive coaching program
Marshall Goldsmith is the author of the book – What got you here won’t get you there
- Guaranteed, measurable leadership growth as assessed–not by us–but by the leader’s own stakeholders
- Unlike leadership training or executive education programs, it will involve the entire team while doing their day to day work
- The leader becomes the coach, and it has a cascading effect on the team increasing the team effectiveness and improving organizational culture
- It is a system for continuous improvement for leaders themselves and their teams – although it is leadership coaching for the individual leader; we realize the benefit of team coaching through the involvement of the entire team
- In a study of 11,000 leaders on 4 continents–95% of the leaders using this leadership coaching process improved!
- This is the exact same executive coaching process that has been used by 150 of the Fortune 500 companies to grow their leaders through CEO coaching and leadership coaching at C-suite levels
- We are so confident of the process we work on a no growth no pay basis (don’t try that with other vendors, lol!)
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References
Book What got you here won’t get you there
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