What Got You Here Won’t Get You There – Marshall Goldsmith
Success can be a double-edged sword. The habits and behaviours that have helped you climb the career ladder might now be the very things holding you back.
In What Got You Here Won’t Get You There, world-renowned leadership coach Marshall Goldsmith unpacks this paradox, showing how successful people can unknowingly sabotage their own progress.
At the heart of the book is a crucial insight: technical skills and ambition might get you to a certain level, but behavioural blind spots determine whether you’ll continue to grow.
Goldsmith identifies 20 bad habits that high achievers commonly exhibit—often without realising their impact.
These include:
- Winning too much – The need to come out on top in every situation, even when it doesn’t matter.
- Adding too much value – Always wanting to improve others’ ideas, which can stifle creativity and ownership.
- Passing judgment – Critiquing others unnecessarily, making them feel undervalued.
- Making destructive comments – Speaking with sarcasm or negativity, which erodes trust.
- Starting with “No,” “But,” or “However” – Instantly shutting down conversations and discouraging open dialogue.
- Telling the world how smart you are – Needing to prove intelligence, often alienating others.
- Speaking when angry – Losing emotional control and damaging relationships.
- Neglecting to acknowledge others – Failing to give credit where it’s due.
- Claiming credit you don’t deserve – Taking more than your fair share of recognition.
- Refusing to express regret – Struggling to say “I’m sorry” when it’s needed.
- Not listening – Being distracted or dismissive when others speak.
- Failing to express gratitude – Overlooking the importance of saying “thank you.”
- Punishing the messenger – Reacting poorly to bad news, discouraging honest feedback.
- Passing the blame – Shifting responsibility instead of owning mistakes.
- An excessive need to be “me” – Using personality as an excuse for bad behaviour.
- Withholding information – Keeping people in the dark, often as a power move.
- Failing to recognise others’ contributions – Overlooking the efforts of colleagues.
- Playing favourites – Giving preferential treatment, which creates resentment.
- Refusing to change – Resisting growth and adaptation.
- Not taking responsibility for how you make others feel – Ignoring the emotional impact of your actions.
Goldsmith identifies the problem and provides a systematic framework for addressing these issues. Each chapter focuses on one bad habit, making it easy for readers to understand and relate to the problems discussed. The book is interspersed with practical advice, real-life examples, and questions that provoke reflection about one’s professional behaviour.
Key Concepts and Techniques
One of the book’s strengths is its focus on actionable advice. Goldsmith introduces the concept of "feedforward" instead of feedback, which focuses on future solutions rather than dwelling on past mistakes. This approach is not about changing one’s personality but about achieving a shift in behaviour that is visible and valuable to those around them.
Goldsmith stresses the importance of active listening and engaging genuinely with feedback without becoming defensive, a crucial skill for any leader. He also emphasises the need to apologise and to make amends, which can dramatically improve interpersonal relationships at work.
Using real-world examples from his coaching experience, Goldsmith explains how leaders can recognise these bad habits, take responsibility for their actions, and implement small, meaningful changes.
He emphasises the importance of active feedback, humility, and the willingness to change—even when success has reinforced certain behaviours in the past.
The book isn’t just about identifying flaws—it’s about transformation. Goldsmith provides practical tools to help leaders become more self-aware, develop emotional intelligence, and refine their leadership style.
His key takeaway?
What got you to this point in your career won’t necessarily take you to the next. To grow, you must be willing to unlearn, adapt, and focus on how you interact with others, not just what you achieve.
Conclusion
"What Got You Here Won’t Get You There" is a powerful reminder that continuous personal improvement is necessary for ongoing success. Goldsmith’s book is an essential guide for anyone looking to understand the subtle complexities of individual behaviour in a professional setting. It offers valuable lessons on humility, adaptability, and the continuous need for self-awareness at every stage of one’s career.
This book is a critical resource for those feeling stuck in their professional journey despite past achievements or for those looking to refine their leadership skills further. It serves as a manual for professional development and a catalyst for reflective personal change.
