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What Got You Here Won't Get You There
What It’s About
Your hard work pays off. You perform well in your sphere. But still, there is something standing between you and success at the next level. This something could easily be one of your own annoying habits. Perhaps a small flaw – a behavior you don't even notice – is the only thing preventing you from being where you want to be. It’s possible that it’s exactly the trait you firmly believe got you here – such as the drive to win at all costs. As the book describes, many excel despite certain habits, rather than because of them.
Three Key Ideas
Winning Too Much Backfires
The drive to win every interaction, even trivial ones, is the root habit that undermines relationships and limits advancement.
Feedback Closes Blind Spots
Actively seeking honest feedback from others reveals the destructive habits successful people rarely notice in themselves.
Apology Rebuilds Trust
Taking full responsibility and apologizing sincerely repairs damaged relationships and is essential for continued leadership growth.
Read a Sample
Identifying and Changing Habits: Past success doesn’t guarantee future success unless you keep evolving and deal with the habits that hurt you.
Favorite quotes: “There is a thin line between competitive and overly competitive people, between those who win when it matters and those who win even when no one is counting.” “We want people to be free to agree or disagree.” “Once you gain a reputation for being emotionally unstable, you can bury the chance for others to see you differently for the rest of your life.”
Marshall Goldsmith is an expert at helping leaders around the world get past their bad habits so they can become even more successful. His one-on-one coaching comes with a six-figure price tag, but in this book he shares his techniques with everyone. Forbes ranks him among the top five coaches, and he has worked with more than sixty CEOs whose management teams are among the best in the world.
His clients include companies such as Goldman Sachs, Glaxo SmithKline, Johnson and Johnson, and GE. The book is full of examples of bad habits, and luckily, it also offers methods to help you grow past these deeply ingrained routines.
The first notable point is if you win too much.
Who It’s For
- Anyone who has hit a ceiling in their career despite strong past performance.
- Anyone who wants to understand which of their own behaviors are quietly holding them back.
- Anyone who manages a team and suspects their communication style is undermining morale.
- Anyone who has received vague feedback like "difficult to work with" and wants to know what to change.
About the Author: Marshall Goldsmith
Marshall Goldsmith is one of the world's most recognized executive coaches, known for working with senior leaders at major corporations including Goldman Sachs, Johnson and Johnson, and GE. Forbes has ranked him among the top executive coaches globally.
His approach focuses on behavioral change rather than strategy or technical skills, and he has coached well over a hundred CEOs and their leadership teams. This book distills the methods from that coaching practice into a framework any leader can apply.
