BONUS: Marshall Goldsmith on Leadership, AI, and Coaching for the Future

In this BONUS episode, Dr. Marshall Goldsmith, the world-renowned leadership coach and bestselling author, shares transformative insights into leadership, coaching, and how AI is reshaping the future of these fields. With over 3 million books sold and recognition as the #1 leadership thinker globally, Marshall takes us on a journey through his career, his new AI project, and practical lessons for leaders at all levels.

From Situational Leadership to Coaching Titans

Marshall shares the pivotal moments that launched his career in leadership coaching. From collaborating with Paul Hersey on Situational Leadership to developing his revolutionary coaching model, Marshall shares how aligning his methods with results-driven outcomes has shaped his approach.

“I always get paid after the results. This keeps the focus where it belongs—on the client’s success, not mine.”

Counterintuitive Lessons in Leadership

Winning too much, overcompetitiveness, and making coaching about the leader instead of the team—Marshall uncovers the surprising obstacles that hold even top leaders back. He highlights the importance of working with great people and the discipline to focus on their growth over personal validation. And Marshall shares an insight that is critical for Scrum Masters:

“Leadership isn’t about proving yourself; it’s about helping others succeed.”

Coaching Global Leaders: The Process

Having coached CEOs of companies like Pfizer, Ford, and Walmart, as well as global influencers, Marshall dives into his coaching process. He explains the importance of courage, humility, and discipline and introduces how his new AI bot enhances his coaching framework with over 3 million words of distilled leadership wisdom.

“Great coaching starts with great clients. My process is about helping them achieve their potential, not mine.”

The Birth of MarshallGoldsmith.AI

Marshall’s desire to give back led to the creation of MarshallGoldsmith.AI, a free tool designed to democratize access to leadership wisdom. We explore how the bot leverages AI for knowledge-sharing, its inherent biases, and how it’s being used in real coaching scenarios.

“My goal is simple: help as many people as possible by sharing everything I’ve learned.”

How AI Will Revolutionize Leadership

Looking forward, Marshall shares his vision for how AI will reshape learning and coaching. He believes AI will accelerate knowledge sharing, making insights immediately accessible and creating new opportunities for thought leaders to amplify their impact.

“The future of coaching lies in immediate access to transformative ideas—AI makes this possible.”

Lessons for Scrum Masters

MarshallGoldsmith.AI even has advice for Agile practitioners! When asked about lessons for Scrum Masters, the bot highlighted three key principles: focus on collaboration, prioritize feedback without judgment, and build team resilience.

“Listen, thank people, don’t judge, and focus on actionable steps forward.”

Parting Words of Advice

Marshall leaves us with a timeless reflection: “Imagine you’re near the end of your life and can offer one piece of advice to your younger self. What would it be? Live that advice today.”

About Dr. Marshall Goldsmith

Dr. Marshall Goldsmith is a #1 New York Times bestselling author, whose books have sold over 3 million copies worldwide. Ranked as the #1 leadership thinker by Thinkers50 and the #1 executive coach in the world for over a decade, Marshall has coached top leaders, including CEOs of global corporations, world leaders, and visionary thinkers.

In addition to his coaching work, Marshall is pioneering the integration of AI in leadership with MarshallGoldsmith.AI, a free tool to democratize access to his decades of expertise.

You can link with Dr. Marshall Goldsmith on LinkedIn and connect with him on Twitter.