Dealing with Existential Dissatisfaction and Finding Peace

49sec Snip

00:00

Play full episode

Summary

Transcript

Episode notes

Existential dissatisfaction refers to a fundamental discontentment with life itself, rather than mere suffering. To address this dissatisfaction, it is essential to achieve peace with one's current reality. This involves forgiving both oneself and others, and understanding that happiness cannot be found in external factors such as wealth, status, or alternate realities. Instead, contentment lies in recognizing and accepting the truth of one's life as it is, rather than longing for how one wishes things to be. True peace comes from confronting this reality and making peace with it.

About the Guest:

Marshall Goldsmith is the world-renowned leadership thinker and executive coach recognized as the only two-time Thinkers 50 #1 Leadership Thinker in the world. Over a celebrated career spanning decades, he has guided over 150 major CEOs and their management teams to reach new heights of effectiveness. Marshall has authored 56 books, including acclaimed titles such as "What Got You Here Won't Get You There," "Mojo," "Triggers," and "The Earned Life," selling over 3 million copies. He is currently pioneering MarshallGoldsmith AI, an initiative aimed at democratizing leadership learning through AI technology, a venture started even before the advent of ChatGPT.

Episode Summary:

Greg engages in a profound and insightful conversation with the world-renowned executive coach, Dr. Marshall Goldsmith. The dialogue navigates through themes of leadership, self-forgiveness, the pursuit of happiness, and embracing human imperfections. Marshall shares his journey from humble beginnings to becoming a leading figure in executive coaching, highlighting the importance of philosophical teachings from Buddhism in shaping his approach to life and coaching.

Key Takeaways:

Courage, Humility, and Discipline: Successful leaders require these three qualities to enact meaningful change in their behavior.

Daily Self-Assessment: Regularly asking oneself, "Did I do my best to…" can significantly improve personal and professional development.

Impact of AI on Leadership: Marshall Goldsmith AI aims to make leadership training accessible globally, leveraging the latest in AI technology.

Prioritizing Relationships: Improving team dynamics starts with individuals seeking betterment within themselves.

Managing Overcommitment: Leaders often fall into the trap of believing things will calm down in the future, which can hinder immediate action on what truly matters.

Notable Quotes:

“Winners love winning. My whole coaching is not fixing losers. I’m in the helping winners business.”

“If I have a coach, I’ve had someone call me on the phone almost every day for 27 years to try to help me.”

“I thought when I got older, worrying about my health would be less important...actually it's sort of more important.”

“Everyone I coach gets confidential feedback, picks important areas to improve, apologizes, and does rigorous follow-up.”

“If you get rid of the mistakes you made, you get rid of everything you learned from the mistakes.”

Resources:

MarshallGoldsmith AI

Books by Marshall Goldsmith:

"What Got You Here Won't Get You There"

"Triggers"

"The Earned Life"