Marshall Goldsmith, a renowned executive coach and bestselling author, shares insightful strategies to overcome habits that hinder leadership success. He delves into the dangers of winning too much and the need for mindfulness in communication. Goldsmith emphasizes the impact of self-awareness, urging leaders to combat biases and redefine their identities. He also warns against being overly goal-obsessed, suggesting that fulfillment comes from aligning achievements with purpose. Additionally, he explores the fusion of leadership with technology to enhance growth.
38:12
forum Ask episode
web_stories AI Snips
view_agenda Chapters
menu_book Books
auto_awesome Transcript
info_circle Episode notes
insights INSIGHT
Superstition Trap
Successful people can fall into the "superstition trap," assuming their behaviors cause success.
They may also wrongly believe past success guarantees future success using the same behaviors.
insights INSIGHT
Behavioral Problems Increase with Rank
As leaders climb the ranks, their challenges become increasingly behavioral.
Technical expertise becomes less crucial than managing people effectively.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Winning Too Much
Successful people often win too much, even when it's not worthwhile.
Ask yourself, "Is it worth it?" before engaging in trivial arguments.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
This book by Marshall Goldsmith focuses on helping successful individuals recognize and change the behavioral habits that are holding them back from achieving even greater success. Goldsmith identifies 20 common bad habits, such as speaking when angry or adding too much value, and provides a systematic approach to changing these behaviors. He emphasizes that it is not technical skills but behavioral changes that separate the great from the rest. The book offers practical advice on how to eliminate these dysfunctions and improve interpersonal relationships, which is crucial for advancing in one's career and personal life.
Marshall Goldsmith: What Got You Here Won’t Get You There
Marshall Goldsmith is one of the world’s leading executive coaches. He's written 56 books, selling over 3 million copies, including 8 bestsellers and 4 New York Times bestsellers. He's been ranked twice by Thinkers50 as the #1 leadership thinker in the world and ranked the #1 executive coach in the world for over a decade.
Marshall’s most popular book is What Got You Here Won't Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful*. In this episode, Marshall and I explore the key lessons from this iconic book and the most common habits that hold leaders back.
Key Points
The superstition trap: I behave this way and I am successful, therefore I am successful because I behave this way.
The higher you go, the more your problems are behavioral.
Winning too much is a trap for successful people. Ask yourself, “Is it worth it?”
Be aware that your suggestions become orders.
Avoid starting your responses with “no,” “but,” or “however.” It’s hard to hear things we already know.
We are not here on Earth to prove how smart we are. Help more, judge less.
We all reinforce people who reinforce us. We hate obvious suck ups, but not the good ones. The good suck ups can easily fool the best leaders.
Beware an excessive need to “be me.” Instead, be who you want and need to be.
Resources Mentioned
What Got You Here Won't Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful* by Marshall Goldsmith
MarshallGoldsmith.ai
Interview Notes
Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).
Related Episodes
The Way to Be More Self-Aware, with Tasha Eurich (episode 442)
The Power of Courage in Leadership Growth, with Jorge Alzate (episode 611)
What Vulnerable Leadership Sounds Like, with Jacob Morgan (episode 648)
Discover More
Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.
Coaching for Leaders 
