subject: What Got You Here Won't Get You There [print this page] Marshall Goldsmith, renowned executive coach, has a new book, What Got You Here Won't Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful [Hyperion, 2007]. Marshall synthesizes the 21 "bad habits" that hold leaders back from achieving even further success, including making destructive comments, speaking when angry, negativity, failing to give proper recognition, playing favorites, and not listening.
In addition to outlining the bad habits that hold leaders back from the top,
Goldsmith suggests methods to change behaviors and remove the obstacles. For example, seeking feedback, listening to it, and accepting and internalizing it can be extremely helpful, but only if leaders are willing to make four commitments:
1.Let go of the past.
2.Tell the truth.
3.Be supportive and helpful not cynical or negative.
4.Pick something to improve yourself so everyone is focused more on "improving" than "judging."
Executive coaching can help people with everything mentioned by Marshall Goldsmith. He knows that because he is the most famous and successful Executive Coach in America. Often people need outside feedback to identify the bad habits Marshall describes. Often they need help in building the skills me mentions such as seeking feedback. And usually they need lots of help in sticking to the four commitments.
As Marshall knows well, learning these things is best done as a collaborative effort. Interaction is the key to identifying and fine tuning these skills and commitments. Trying to do this by oneself is likely to fail in the same way that New Years resolutions do. The press of current business tasks pushes good intentions out of awareness. But an Executive Coach can remind the leader and bring these desired skills back into focus.
Copyright 2009, by William R. Murray, President of Eagle Alliance Executive Coaching, LLC. Reprint rights granted to all venues so long as this article and by-line are printed intact with all links made live.
