For so many years I've had the privilege of advising managers and leaders within the private and military sectors about human relations and workplace mastery. I can only imagine how much more effective I would have been had Dr. Goldsmith's book--What Got You Here Won't Get You There--been available as the model; both for me, the advisor, and the leaders I serve.

What Got You Here... is not just another personal/professional development book to help leaders reach the next level; it's the manual. This book, I believe, resonates with the reader because you can't miss the compelling insight and advice...Marshall gives it to you straight! He exposes his coaching effectiveness in that he speaks so profoundly, yet in a simple, practical way. So whether you're a successful corporate executive, a junior exec climbing the ladder of success, or an executive coach, do yourself a favor and read this book.

At a recent international event, I witnessed Marshall deliver a keynote speech. Over the 4-day convention, I listened to many well-known speakers of his caliber. It was Marshall who "raised the roof." Not with flash and glitz (although he's very entertaining), but with his straightforward, tactful, and diplomatic "in your face" words that made us all really think...and think big!

I found the same in this book--profound points, easy to digest. For instance, he raises the point that, in order to take yourself to the next level, be that as a great leader or better person, sometimes you needn't focus on what you should learn or do better (in order to become better). But rather, realize what you need to STOP doing--like being a jerk! There it is...in no uncertain terms. But then he goes on to eloquently elaborate on the point.

Dr. Goldsmith is very thorough and generous with this book. He offers many case studies and scenarios to help put things into practical context. I also found beneficial his integrating of conventional thinking and models (such as Johari's Window). But his new insights are the muscle in this book--such as the 20 "transactional" flaws. These are real flaws to which so many of us find ourselves struggling to identify and correct. The value in reading about them in this book (aka Marshall's unique insight)...is the furthering of one's understanding of the obstacles--and solutions for getting out of one's own way to success.

If you and/or your organization are not achieving the results you want, then read this book. It's like having this master-of-a-coach right in front of your face challenging your thinking and helping you discover new ways to reaching serious success. This book will definitely help get you there!

Kevin Richard McNulty
Founder/CEO, Humadyn-Center for Human Relations, Growth & Achievement

Having read Marshall's book and a few of the reviewes, both the postive and not so positive I'm left with the thought that people who value relationships and desire to achieve the next level of leadership will love this book.

They will love it for a couple of reasons. First, many years ago I learned that it's the simple things in life that are most profound. His suggestions are simple but possess a great deal of wisdom. Marshall obviously realizes from his experience in coaching and life what is often missing to build the type of relationships that move people to higher levels of achievement. Second, if you are already practicing the suggestions in the book it will reenforce and confirm your behavior. If you are not practicing the behaviors Marshall offers you a plan to do so.

I highly recommend his book. If you put the suggestions into practice it will impact your personal energy and the energy of others. Great work Marshall. Thank you for reminding us of those things that create successful relationships and outstanding leaders.

Dr. Bob Rausch, author of "The Power of Personal Energy" and "The Secret Power in Stress - Unleash Your Energy Potential"

Goldsmith brings us a fabulous leadership text for leaders at any and all phases in their career. From a youngster just out of MBA school, or a seasoned CEO, all people looking to improve will find value.

The highlights:
--People fail to implement change because they are too busy.
Change isn't easy, but it is ever-present in today's society. If you want a 'change' to happen in your personal or professional life, you must make it at the top of your list. Goldsmith soars as he describes the importance of making a commitment to changing a part of your behavior.

--There is a HUGE gulf between understanding and doing.
Leadership isn't just memorized out of a book, or absorbed through a leadership seminar. This book gives concrete examples of how you can build a plan of action for growing as a leader. Gain a thorough understanding of leadership best practices and then you have no excuses -- it is time to ACT.

I can make this promise. This book will shake your cobwebs and get you back on path to being a confident, courageous, and effective leader.

Dan Naden
Naden's Corner

What a wonderful book! Marshall Goldsmith's book should be on the "must read" list for anyone who truly wants to improve their relationships. It moves immediately beyond pop psychology and provides simple, doable, clear, and concise instructions on how to change the irritating and destructive habits that cause problems between people. Written for the business executive, Goldsmith's methods work just as well for the little league coach, the small business person, and yes, the husband and wife. This is your opportunity to get the advice for which top CEO's are paying thousands of dollars, and you get it for the price of a book. To top it off, Goldsmith is an immensely readable writer. Don't pass up the opportunity. Oh yeah, once you get the book, put it to use.

As an executive coach, I ask clients to identify what of the 20 habits they are guilty of. The book becomes a safe, third-party place to see yourself in the mirror and be aware of how your behavior affects others. Recently a client sent me an email titled "That Darn Marshall". He said it took him 20 minutes to rewrite an email without the words "no", "but", or "however"...but he did it and the response he got back was positive.

I've seen NASA engineers who don't think about giving recognition try the 5 pennies exercise and now they regularly give valid praise and graditude to those around them. People really do want to look good in other's eyes and sometimes a busy successful person forgets that. Marshall's book both identifies areas in which we can strengthen and gives practical & simple tools to apply immediately.

It's a terrific book about how to get better results faster!

A book full of common sense on "How not to be a Jerk". Unfortunately, if you are a jerk, you are probably not going to read the book.

Book should be named "Common Errors Even Successful People Make". It was a list of poor behaviors that would get most people fired - quickly. I was disappointed as I expected it to elevate my game. Instead, it listed many poor behaviors that anyone with a sense of self would not engage in.

This book is one of the best I've ever read. Some people assume that once one has what it takes to advance in one's career, there's no stopping one. This book makes a solid case that many people who achieve initial success later reach a ceiling that has nothing to do with their abilities - it is determined by their weaknesses. This book describes a clear methodology for determining and addressing 20 common weaknesses. Further, the book illustrates many of these so clearly that it was possible for me to see some of them in myself directly. Probably the best thing about the book, is that it points out relatively simple ways almost anyone can improve their interpersonal skills. I think I'm going to be re-reading it quarterly to help me keep these practices in mind. Fortunately the book is so well written, it's hard to put down.

Marshall Goldsmith illustrates the concept of focusing the mind on positive ways of thinking. He has provided "20 annoying habits". He has written how they need to be "eliminated"; until your thoughts have been clearly defined. As a reader, I can relate to most of these habits and I have a clear understanding to say "Thank you" when it needs to be said. Highly Recommended to Corporations, Small Businesses, and future students.

Marshall Goldsmith did a wonderful job of explaining how to remain in your position of success. If you're not there yet, you definitely learn what not to do.

This was a read that my boss strongly suggested the whole department read, however, everytime Marshall mentioned one of the 20 flaws, we all could identify a manager that had those same characteristics (and most times, it was the one that recommended we read the book!). He describes the flaws in such a way that you're not embarassed to own up to them and want to take steps to change. He also offers a perspective of the 360-degree feedback that made us realize that none of us were using it in the manner in which it was created.

Great read, great pace, it was as if you were in the room with him. Very funny and relatable. I highly recommend it to any manager that is wondering why they have high turnover in their department or why they haven't been able to forge true professional relationships with the people they work with.

Although the book title clearly aims itself at the successful managers, it is a good antidote for all who want to do better particularly on interpersonal relationship and leadership, that previous success, no matter big or small, almost always mar ourselves with complacency, self centredness, over confidence etc etc. Well organised with wit and good substance, it did help improve my communication skills, till the time I forgot them all, and then pick it out for a re-read. In short, recommended.

p.s. Below please find my favorite "tactics" for your reference.

Stop asking for feedback and then expressing your opinion. pg 117
What impressed me was that when he asked a question, he waited for the answer. He not only listened, he made me feel like I was the only person in the room. pg 152
He never takes his eyes off me. Even if the Queen walked in, he wouldnt be distracted. He would stil be devoting his full attention to me. That's hard to resist. pg 153
Clinton made a point of knowing something positive about you, and without making a big show of it, saying something to let you know he knew it. In effect, he was bragging about you to you. pg 153
Once you master the subtle arts of apologizing, advertising, listening, and thanking, you must follow up - relentlessly. Or everything else is just a "program of the month." pg 161

This book is a practical and powerful tool that makes you stop and think about what you are doing - both consciously and unconsciously - in your drive to be successful. I have had several executive clients who have had the "Oh my God, he's talking about me!" experience when reading Goldsmith's candid and pointed observations. I highly recommend this book to any individual who wants to create and sustain top level legacy leadership.

This is a good book, simply spoken and simply followed.

The biggest thing I got out of this book was really simple. The reason you have success is not because of the 'quirks' you have, but "IN-SPITE" of the quirks you have! :) Brilliant!

Many times, we read motivational books that are both repetitive and quickly forgotten. Not so with Dr. Goldsmith's work. He has an uncanny knack for subtely giving great advice on how to change our behaviors in the workplace, that easily transition over to positive behavioral patterns for your personal life. While most books of this nature force feed us into introducing new concepts and behavior patterns, this one provides the tools for changing and completely eliminating behaviors that are detrimental to our journey towards to true success and fulfillment. What Got You Here, Won't Get You There is a fantastic guide for those who are open to changing their behavior and tendencies not only in the office, but at home as well. Finally, a great book from a highly acclaimed professional who doesn't fill his book with fluff and a 'to do' list that we've all heard and seen before.

Like Dr. Marshall, this book is Outstanding
I heard him first, read his website next and before I read this Classic book. It can be a turning point in readers' lives. His real life examples and simple narration indeed make you sit up and listen very very carefully. Clearly an outstanding book.

The book provides advice on how to manage your behavior while building your career in the corporate or business worlds. The book title is a reminder that the behavior that lead you to climb the corporate ladder can at some point be against you.

The book invites you to explore and assess your habits and get feedback from your colleagues at different levels. This will give you a reality check on things that you may be failing and will lead you to fail. The list of twenty bad habitsis a starting point to assess yourself and start re-inventing your self.

Highly recommended book to assess individuals building their professional careers and leadership skills.

This book is an absolute must for high achievers. Typically such people are so focused on their immediate goals, that they miss out on the interpersonal aspects & start to stagnate, for no obvious reasons. The first half of the book will open your eyes to the flaws on inter-personal skills & impact it has on your career. The good part is that there are concrete steps to how to control the situation & get past the shortcomings. It is a very well written book and easy to read. I'm practicing some of the suggested techniques and they work!

I usually stay away from self-help books like this because they are most often vague, non-specific and fail to give the "real" secret to success. I did gleen a few good ideas from this book but for the most part this book has been written a thousand times before, and like all the others it doesn't remind the reader that the biggest key to success is simply knowing the right people and relying on connections, connections and connections. All other roads to success are, let's be honest, luck, luck and amazingly great good luck, nothing else.

Goldsmith's latest book is a terrific read for leaders waking up to the need for change within themselves. A common sense and energizing book, this is perfect for successful people continued growth is threatened because they have become habituated and inflexible... the very habits that have led to their success have become limiting.

Section Two of the book describes twenty habits that make leaders less effective; out of this collection anyone with the slightest inclination towards self-reflection will be able to spot themselves several times over. The remainder of the book offers principles for designing change, involving others in our change processes, and building accountability for doing things differently. While a book isn't a substitute for coaching, this is a great common sense approach to self-coaching, and leaders who read it will find much of value as they take on more responsibility for their own development. Highly recommended.

It's a short quick read and very informative. Goldsmith offers easy tools to put to practice and they work! Add it to your collection of practical books with solutions to implement.

Marshall's latest book is an instant classic. Even if you are successful in business, to get to the next step in your career is challenging. The tactics you used in the first place aren't enough and Marshall will teach you how to get to the next level. He is an inspiration and a remarkable man!

Enjoy reading this instant classic.

This book is superb, a must read for everyone. Marshall Goldsmith's books are a mainstay with clients at Peak Life Habits, Inc. What Got You Here Won't Get You There allows us to communicate clearly with clients about habits and how to improve many aspects of their lives and relationships, both professionally and at home. This is a practical, interesting, well written book with plenty of street smarts. If you want to uncover key areas to improve that may trigger a catapult of greatness, this is your book.

Mark Weinstein, Founder of Peak Life Habits, Inc.

The book does an excellent job of describing a process for getting more honest feedback from peers and superiors. Both useful information needed to keep climbing up the ladder. would recommend to all climbers

Marshall Goldsmith's latest book is excellent. I want to get a copy into the hands of all of our VP's, Directors & Managers. There are 20 Habits that Goldsmith says prevent people from moving up. All of these are "soft skills" which the individuals are blind to. He recommends "feedforward" once the person is ready to ask for help from colleagues, direct reports, or others. We can't change the past, only modify our behavior going forward.

This book is an easy and fun read. I highly recommend it to anyone and everyone who is part of an organization and wants to move up.

The first thing that came to my attention was the title. What was it supposed to mean? What journey was Goldsmith talking about? The vehicles used to transit in life weren't working any more? Why? What are the new mediums?

Exercising leadership has long been referred implicitly to the capacity to command, control and dominate others in making them into what the leaders want from them. It doesn't work like that any more or at least, not to the same extent. People despise being ordered, brushed aside or looked down. Goldsmith wants us to embark on a new way of leading and connecting with others.

And to do that, he takes us to a reverse thinking mindset rarely found in books about leadership. It is one that brings us to look at what we do wrong in our leadership roles so that we really face reality instead of depicting it in rainbow type colors.

His authentic feedback is there for us to improve. For example, a major mistake leaders or managers make has to do with being arrogant, meaning believing that we will succeed no matter what and that the success we encounter is solely due to our unique qualities and even to our own flaws (ex. Overcommitment). Learning a little humility is a first step to changing our behaviour so we can cooperate better with others and achieve more, collectively speaking

Reading the book offered me a range of answers that I didn't anticipate. Moreover, I have successfully applied some of his key lessons. I recommend this book to all clients that I coach.
Edith Luc

A bad habbit kept me from productivity. This book not only helped identify what kept me stuck but empowered me to adopt new behaviors.
Buy this book and change your future.

Anne Browning Project Coach

When I heard the title of this book I thought it surely is a must read. The title was the best part of the book. Concepts are decent but I read this while flying across the Atlantic and wound up just leaving it on the plane for somebody else. Nothing to write home about. Incredible title and the concept triggered a lot in me as a leader however....

Through this book, Marshall Goldsmith gives us each the opportunity to hold up a mirror to reveal insights into our own actions and reactions. This is a book we incorporate into a number of OD activities in our organization, certainly in coaching individuals, but also in working with teams. One business leader I work with recently read the book, and immediately turned around and purchased it for his entire leadership team, giving it to them as a gift at a recent planning session. Almost daily I am hearing stories of meaningful self-reflection, ranging from the hilarious to the poignant, all finding at least a bit of themselves on the pages. This example demonstrates what I think is the book's biggest strength, the clarity of Marshall's straight-forward and practical approach aimed at helping us all get better at what we do.

If you do what you have always done , you will get what you have always gotten.
Marshall's new book has shown us all a very effective work around. Read the book and watch how the direction you have been going can shift overnight.
Scott H. Silverman. Author, "Tell Me No. I Dare You!"

While CEO of a national tree preservation firm with 500 teammates in 23 locations I gave this book to my senior leadership team as a key read. The book is filled with real hands-on advice. What hit home particularly for me were the common "bad habits" of CEO's/key leaders that can get in the way of developing your people. This is an excellent book to read as a leader and use as a tool with your leadership team. If you have a team that wants to grow, get this book because what got them here won't get them there.

You could easily summerize this book as "well DUH!" However, that's not meant to be a criticism it's meant to say the points made in the book are so obvious yet most fail to stop and think.

Goldsmith challenges his readers to stop and think about their behaviors at work and home. He details stories of helping successful CEO's and other business people who on paper were successful but were one bad quarter from being shown the door due to their attitude.

The author reviews in detail 20 bad habits at work and ways to improve or correct negative behaviors. 2 examples would be to say thank you and fines for negative words or behaviors. ON the thank you point, the author points out that many of us will say "I already knew that, or oh that doesn't matter". The author, in more detail, explains how learning to say thank you will be much more beneficial than arguing. The other point is the author suggests hefty fines for a bad behavior. He states the more $$ you put in the jar, the quicker it is to correct the behavior. Many people are negative subconciously.

These are just 2 examples of how the author helps in business.

While the information in this book is not earth shattering or rocket science, it is laid out and explained in such a manner that the tips can be but into practice immediately.

... do it! This book was a real eye-opener for me on how a successful person can hit her own developmental 'tipping-point'. Using Marshall's checklist of twenty habits, I was shocked to discover I have performed at least twelve of the twenty! Thank you Marshall for the self awareness and the roadmap to help me get out of my own way.

If you want practical advice, with tangible next steps to take you to the next level in your career, I highly recommend this book.

Yet another amazing book by Marshall. Full of insights and tons of practical ideas that are not only pragmatic, but also high impact. I am a big fan of identifying the few things that make the biggest difference in creating an extraordinary quality of life. And in this book I found many such ideas. Anyone looking for ideas that truly make a difference in the workplace, and indeed in life, must read, but most importantly apply what Marshall recommends. Ranks as one of the best books I've read in several years.

From a purely economic perspective, this may be among the most valuable books in print. If every executive followed the advice in this book, we wouldn't have more than 100 million Americans who are not engaged in their jobs and, as a result, productivity and innovation would soar.

In this book, uber-executive coach Marshall Goldsmith shares his insights about the most common habitual behaviors that prevent leaders from reaching their potential and how to overcome them. We all have these blind spots that others see but we don't. It's part of the human condition. In this book Marshall provides the best description I have ever seen of the most common blind spots. Marshall provides thorough explanations and illustrates his points with compelling anonymous examples from his work with high achievers. Reading this book is the next best thing to having Marshall as a coach.

If you do nothing else over the summer, pick up Marshall Goldsmith's simple yet consistently Marshall-esque and direct book, What Got You Here Won't Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful. I recently had a chance to meet Marshall at the Vistage International 50th anniversary conference. His unassuming presence completely disarms you with the fact that he is the personal coach to some of the Fortune 500's most elite CEOs.


Early on in his book, he references the most annoying interpersonal issues in the workplace today. We thought these might be a relevant reference point as many deter you from developing intentional, strategic, and thus quantifiable business relationships.

For example, he talks about the importance of knowing when to stop. Have you ever thought about the stupid things top people do that they need to stop doing now? Get out a notepad and instead of the usual "to do" list, start a "to stop" list.

Goldsmith points out that not all behaviors can be categorized as good or bad. Many are simply neutral. In 2008, if you choose to be nicer, for example, instead of creating a long list of positive actions such as complimenting people, saying please and thank you, listening more patiently, and treating them with verbal respect (often a daunting task), a simpler way that doesn't require much effort at all is to just stop being a jerk! You don't have to think of ways to be nicer, all you really have to do is nothing! When someone offers a less than stellar plan, don't criticize - just say nothing! If your decisions are challenged, don't argue or make excuses - just quietly consider it and keep your critiques to yourself.

Before fixing bad behavior, you first have to identify the most common faults. These are not flaws of skill, intelligence, or unchangeable personality, but often challenges in interpersonal and leadership behavior. Many of our flaws are transactional and performed one person against another.

The 20 Habits That Hold You Back from the Top

1. Winning too much. The need to win at all costs and in all situations even when wining doesn't really matter and is totally beside the point.
2. Adding too much value. The overwhelming desire to add our opinion to every discussion.
3. Passing judgment. The need to impose our standards on others.
4. Making destructive comments. Needless sarcasm and cutting remarks that we think make us sound sharp and witty.
5. Starting anything with "no, but or however." Seldom anything good comes after these and as negative qualifiers, they secretly say to everyone, "I am right and you are wrong."
6. Telling the world how smart we are. The need to show people we are smarter than they think we are.
7. Speaking when angry. Using emotional volatility as a management tool.
8. Negativity. "Let me explain why that won't work" is a need to share our negative thoughts even when we were not asked.
9. Withholding information. The refusal to share information in order to maintain control or an advantage over others.
10. Failing to give proper recognition. The inability to praise and reward.
11. Claiming credit that we don't deserve. The most annoying way to overestimate our contribution to any success.
12. Making excuses. The need to reposition our annoying behavior as a permanent fixture so people excuse us for it.
13. Clinging to the past. The need to deflect blame away from ourselves and onto events and people from our past.
14. Playing favorites. Failing to see that we are treating someone unfairly.
15. Refusing to express regret. The inability to take responsibility for our actions, admit we're wrong, or recognize how our actions affect others.
16. Not listening. The most passive aggressive form of disrespect of colleagues.
17. Failing to express gratitude. The most basic form of bad manners.
18. Punishing the messenger. The misguided need to attack the innocent who are usually only trying to help us.
19. Passing the buck. The need to blame everyone but ourselves.
20. An excessive need to be "me." Exalting our faults as virtues simply because they make us who we are.

Check yourself against the list. Though it is unlikely you are guilty of all of these annoying habits, you can probably narrow the list to 1-2 vital issues that will show you where to work on in 2008 and beyond.

Undoubtedly one of the best books I have read this year. The direct and powerful advice in this book will beat your expectations. Highly recommended.

Basically, it takes Dale Carnegie's "How to Win Friends and Influence Poeple" and tailors it to the arrogant, egotistical perspective of many of today's overpaid, underperforming, delusional CEO's.

In this book, the author makes some valid points that is applicable to anyone in the business community. The language seems geared more towards executive coaches rather than the business leaders themselves. Overall, this book contains some very good and practical information, however, it was a little bit too much common sense for me and hence the 4 stars instead of 5. For example, one action item states: List the 25 people who have helped you the most in your life. Now, write a thank-you note to each of them.

The book starts with "paradox of success" - the same behaviors that helped you succeed can now bring you down. It goes on to explain 21 bad habits and provides examples on how to correct them. It continues on to a 7-step procedure to cure a bad workplace habit. It is a good book which can help improve your leadership & day-to-day management skills.

Nutshell review - a decent book covering various aspects of how succesful people can sometimes torpedo their own success or limit their own (and others) growth potential. Too much case-study page filling but worth a read.

Excellent book for coaching adults in the workplace & life. Adults, especially already sucessful adults don't often think they need feedback. This gives specific ideas on how to discover what the right "thing" to work on is & what steps to take. You can apply this to yourself as well.

For those concerned with continued career growth this is a must read. Marshall Goldsmith has identified the often subtle (and some not so subtle) behaviors that even the most successful executives can exhibit. With 21 years of professional experience spanning 2 Fortune 100 companies, I can attest that I was inspired by this book and immediately sought in depth feedback from my direct reports and established an ongoing dialogue with my team to continually close the blind-spots and grow as a leader. Do yourself a favor. Get the book. Read it and be ready to change and grow as a leader.

I enjoyed reading this book and my employees enjoyed it as well. I was also very impressed with the delivery.

It's ironic -- this book is an example of its title. Goldsmith brags endlessly about the wealth and power of his clients, the size of his own fees, and how much more insightful he is than almost everyone else. The book would be much stronger if it had the carefully nuanced conclusions of a scholar. Instead, it has pronouncements from on high. These are meant to be accepted without question, seemingly because he claims to be a friend of the rich and famous. Maybe this kind of glib, elitist opinion-mongering could be overlooked in a brash youngster, but coming from a would-be elder statesman, it just undercuts his credibility. Which is exactly the point of the book.

To be fair, the book has useful ideas, such as its comprehensive list of "bad habits" that are more damaging at senior levels than at earlier stages of a career. He makes a convincing case that these career-damaging traits can't be changed by taking courses (or reading books?). He argues that change requires nudging by an experienced executive coach (and makes sure you know he is available ... if you have a six-figure budget).

No doubt, Goldsmith can enthrall a room full of worshipful students, as another review suggests, using his catchy one-liners and "trademark" outfits. He is a talented self-promoter. Still, we readers have a right to expect something more thoughtful and less opinionated if he wants to be treated as a truly top authority.

You might want to skim a borrowed copy before buying this. Better still, ask a friend who has read it to give you a brief summary, and maybe skip the book.

Marshall Goldsmith is a masterful leader, abundant in sharing his life experiences and lessons in leadership. His quirky sense of humor comes out in the book with a myriad of examples on how to apply the principles he espouses. It's a fast, fun read for all business book junkies!

The first time I saw this book was back in Burlington, ON, Canada in a bookstore called "Indigo". I was idling in the business section when the clever cover face of a person reaching up to grasp the next rung on a ladder caught my eye.

I picked the book off the shelf with interest and began to read the first page. After reading half of the first page I closed the book and promptly went to the cashier to buy it. It was just that simple. Within the first three paragraphs I knew that Marshall had some very important things to say that I needed to read.

Unassuming, witty, imaginative, and hilarious - are all words that accurately describe Marshall. If you take your time and read carefully, you may also discover that his writing carries a "dad-like" presence. Be prepared to gain a wealth of knowledge while being moved emotionally as Marshall respectfully discusses the lives of several influential people.

Read this book - you will learn that all people (no matter what their position) are human beings that face the constant challenge of behavioral modification and adjustment.

Matthew R. Polkinghorne
MGSM (Marshall Goldsmith School of Management) Graduate Student.
Alliant International University - San Diego Campus.

This is the most complete waste of time for anyone who wants to learn anything. It is so bad that I cannot even finish it!

This book is a "great gift" from Marshall Goldsmith to his reader. How so? In the Coda, he suggests this exercise:

"Imagine that you are 95 years old and ready to die." By then you (i.e. the reader) understand what is really important and what isn't, what matters and what doesn't. "What advice would this wise `old you' have for the `you' who is [receiving the advice]? Take your time and answer the question on two levels: personal advice and professional advice. Jot down a few words that capture what the old you would be saying to the younger you. Once you have written these words down, the rest is simple: Just do whatever you wrote down. Make it your resolution for the rest of the current year, and the next. You have just defined your `there.'"

Everything Goldsmith provides in this volume can help his readers to develop or reactivate what he aptly characterizes as "a built-in GPS mechanism" so that they will "be blessed with [both a map and] an internal compass that orients them automatically. They will [always] make the correct turn and end up where they intended via the most economical route...[because they possess] an exquisite sense of who they are, which translates into perfect pitch about how they come across to others."

It sounds easy, doesn't it? All you have to do is read this book and (like a magic carpet) it will get you from where you are now to where you want to be. On the contrary, for most people who read this book, the challenge is formidable. First, they must accept the fact that Pogo was right: "We have met the enemy and he is us." Then, they must focus on correcting those faults and breaking those habits that currently control their interpersonal behavior. And then they must focus each day, each moment, on avoiding those faults and habits. They cannot do it themselves. With all due respect to the value of Goldsmith's counsel, those who commit to this difficult process of self-improvement must seek the assistance of members of their family as well as associates in their workplace.

Goldsmith identifies twenty of the most common flaws, none of which is a flaw of skill, intelligence, or personality. (That's a key point). "What we're dealing with here are challenges of in interpersonal behavior, often leadership behavior. They are the egregious everyday annoyances that make your workplace more noxious than it needs to be. They don't happen in a vacuum. They are transactional flaws performed by one person against others." Throughout the narrative, Goldsmith cites dozens of real-world examples to illustrate key points but, for obvious reasons, changes the names of those involved. It should be noted that, for several decades, Goldsmith career has primarily involved providing executive coaching services to senior-level executives and he does so on a one-on-one basis. To the extent possible, he establishes the same relationship with each reader. To his credit, he has a clear sense of who he isn't (e.g. a judge of others' behavior) and what he doesn't do (e.g. define anyone else's "there"). As Goldsmith frequently acknowledges, it remains for each reader to determine which flaws are most detrimental to her or his interpersonal relationships. He also points out that many people are either unaware of their faults or unaware of the extent they are resented by others. Hence the importance of continuous feedback from family members and business associates.

The first portion of this review identifies the "there" to which the title refers. It is important to understand that you can get there only if you fully understand both what your "here" is and why. (It may not be where you think it is.) Read the book, then complete the exercise briefly described earlier so that you can obtain "wisdom" that you already possess. "Use that wisdom now. Don't look ahead. Look behind. Look back from your old age at the life you hope to live. Know that you need to be happy now, to enjoy your friends and family, to follow your dreams.

"You are here.
You can get there!
Let the journey begin."

This is one of the most down to earth, easy to read, and genuinely helpful business books I've read in many years. If you are upper management or even middle management looking to make that next move up, you owe it to yourself to read this engaging book.
Given this book by my boss, I thought "yea, why not". But now I have a couple lists of self cautions on the wall in my office where I can see them every time I'm on the phone or when someone is in my office to talk to me. I've even bought copies for my brothers and best friend.

I received my delivery on 25th of March, so I didnt have the chance to read it yet. This can show the time length of shipment.
Thanks,

Successful people are often asked what the secret of their success is. Often it is no secret; it's a combination of hard work, opportunity as well as the ability to reflect and learn in order to improve. "What Got You Here Won't Get You There" provides a roadmap for self-improvement. Marshall Goldsmith paints a clear and vivid path for readers to think about where they are now and what they must to do to get to wherever they want to go. Sometimes that means letting go of the past. Other times it means becoming a more attentive to the needs of others. This book illuminates the path of self-improvement so that an individual can become the successful person he or she desires to be. Full of good stories and good advice, this book is a must-read for anyone seeking to increase his or her opportunities for personal growth and development.