After reading a couple of books in this genre, it should be clear that many are saying very similar things in slightly different ways. Hey, who moved my cheese. Wait, wasn't that... I mean it was groundbreaking and I... These authors are getting rich because you keep paying them to say the same things. Think about it.

This was one of several books that was used in my Master's Program (MSEL - Master's in Executive Leadership) at USD. We were blessed to have Marshall come and speak to us for several hours and what he writes in this book is truly amazing. Usually you are able to take one or two things out of a Leadership book and apply it. We found ourselves in class applying everything in the book as well as what he spoke to us about. He provided real life use cases and believe me I applied several things on Monday morning and it made a difference. One key area of the book that you should look at is the section on "what's wrong with us". If you don't know what is broken or you aren't willing to accept there is something wrong how are you ever going to try and fix it. Remember if you are the coach you aren't changing someone. You are only providing them guidance and direction. Your asking the hard questions that they must answer. The person that is being coached is the only one who can make the change. You own your own destiny. Here are some of the transactional flaws that most leaders do and should work on correcting.

1.Winning too much: The need to win at all costs and in all situations - when it matters, when it doesn't, and when it's totally beside the point.
2.Adding too much value: The overwhelming desire to add our two cents to every discussion.
3.Passing judgment: The need to rate others and impose our standards on them.
4.Making destructive comments: The needless sarcasms and cutting remarks that we think make us sound sharp and witty.
5.Starting with "No," "But, "or "However": The overuse of these negative qualifiers which secretly say to everyone, "I'm right. You're wrong."
6.Telling the world how smart we are: The need to show people we're smarter than they think we are.
7.Speaking when angry: Using emotional volatility as a management tool.
8.Negativity or "Let me explain why that won't work": The need to share our negative thoughts even when we weren't asked.
9.Withholding information: The refusal to share information in order to maintain an advantage over the 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; a subset of blaming everyone else.
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 for 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're who we are.

If you have read this it is a MUST read. Marshall thank you again for your time on that Sunday and this wonderful read. This was one of the highlights of our class in Succession Planning & Talent Management.

Dr. Goldsmith [...] is an amazing executive coach whose philosophy is being taught for the Master of Science in Executive Leadership (MSEL) degree program at University of San Diego. His book "What Got You Here Won't Get You There" is highly recommended. Buy it now and you will not regret it later! One commenter stated it was too late for him. I am here to tell you that the only time it is too late is when you are six feet under. You can teach an old dog new tricks. Watch his Google leadership video on YouTube and you will definitely feel connected to this authentic, genuine author whom I admire dearly [...]. His book will help you improve for any of the following 20 bad habits:
1. Winning too much
2. Adding too much value (adding your two cents to every discussion)
3. Passing judgment
4. Making destructive comments
5. Starting with "No," But," or "However"
6. Telling the world how smart we are
7. Speaking when angry
8. Negativity, or "Let me explain why that won't work"
9. Withholding information
10. Failing to give proper recognition
11. Claiming credit that we don't deserve
12. Making excuses
13. Clinging to the past
14. Playing favorites
15. Refusing to express regret
16. Not listening (I have learned new tips for this one)
17. Failing to express gratitude
18. Punishing the messenger
19. Passing the buck
20. An excessive need to be "me"

Sincere thanks Mr. Garry Ridge and Mrs. Patricia Thompson for highly recommending this book!

We all hope to be better. We all try to be better. Then why is it that others don't see what we are trying to do and the positive changes we are bringing about in ourselves? Marshall Goldsmith's book is a peak inside the difficulties of changing perceptions about one's self and engaging others in that change. It is an outstanding 'do it yourself' book for yourself. Many times we hear ourselves saying, "that is not what I meant" or "you have misunderstood me/my intentions". This book providers the reader with a simple method about how to sit down with those folks who have a say - directly or indirectly in your career - and create a forum for dialogue that ultimately leads to greater understanding between the parties. A must read for any manager or aspiring leader.

I have found that "What Got You Here..." is an especially effective source of wisdom to be used by especially bright ,opinionated, tech savvy leaders who are used to having the "right" answers to technical problems. As an executive coach, many of the issues highlighted by Marshall Goldsmith's book, are especially useful in high tech industries where the "team" is absolutely essential for project success. The sections on "winning", "why that won't work" and "apologizing", speak volumes to the many high tech industries' leaders who have risen to the leadership positions on the basis of their excellence as an individual contributor. Being "right" was a plus as an individual, but can be a real killer as the driving force in a team leader. Marshall's insights have been helpful to leader's I have worked with, who have had difficulties in working within a team framework, a skill absolutely essential in today's high tech environments.

This is a practical and logical way to "look in the mirror" and help you determine those hidden behaviors that are not helpiing you get to the next level of leadership. Knowing "self" is the first step in leading others and you will know more of yourself after reading What got you here wont get you there.

This was an easy and insightful read. Many books introduce *new* models for leadership development and growth. Marshall Goldsmith's extraordinary clarity and wisdom shine through every page. When I was reading the book's top 20 list, I thought Marshall was speaking directly to me - unfortunately, I did each of the twenty things listed. Now, I'm a bit more experienced, and thanks to Marshall, much wiser. Reading this book has propelled me to greater levels of leadership consciousness and, thankfully, influence. Thank you, Marshall!

Dear Marshall

When I read this book the 1st time I underlined parts that really resonated with me. That way I can go back and rething about important concepts a second time.

Understanding and recognizing these 20 "unrecognizable" habits helps make what is generally invisible become visible in ourselves and others. This book is a very powerful tool to become a more effective communicator both at work and at home.

Thank you Marshall

Chris Coffey

No matter you are a Coach or a Coachee, this is the book we should not miss.
Honest and direct reflections of behaviors for anyone who want to be a true leader.

Not only the book that has opened our eyes and mind, but Dr.Marshall's free resources from
his library also taught us that sharing resources bring back more resources to us.

Many times, I read the books encouraging self-awareness, it was too philosophical and hard to apply.
But "What Got You Here Won't Get You There" is different. It gives steps and practical plan to improve myself and help others.

People in Thailand have been waiting for the Thai version.

Please write more
Cara Juicharern

Marshall Goldsmith's book What Got You Here Won't Get You There is not only a 'must have' book for managers, leaders and executive coaches, it is also an important model for authors of business books. The good counsel it provides is based on tens of thousands of hours that Dr. Goldsmith (yes, he has a Ph.D.) has spent working with many of the world's most powerful business leaders. In addition to sharing the behavioral leadership lessons he learned and developed working with other successful people, the book's style allows these lessons to be rapidly assimilated by anyone who lives and leads a complex life.

What Got Your Here Won't Get You There taught me, as an author, to embrace the reality that professionals have little mind space and even less time to sort through the detailed written musings of even very enlightened scholar practioners. I attribute much of the impact of my book,Restore Yourself: The Antidote for Professional Exhaustion to modeling the direct, reader-friendly approach that Dr. Goldsmith took in What Got You Here Won't Get You There. If you are writing a book for busy, smart people, you would be well served to use this book as a model. It has worked for me.

Based on the title I thought this book was about how to move to the next level. It's not. This book is for leaders who are so full of themselves they have forgotten how to be human. Most of the people wjo need this book, will never read it. If you are a middle manager looking for a good book about moving to the next level get the first 90 days instead. I found it much more useful.

Marshall Goldsmith condenses his experience in coaching hundreds of top leaders to achieve their goals into timeless lessons. He first debunks what he calls the "success delusion" to uncover resistence to change. Afterall, if you want to get to your next level, you will need to change something! He reviews the 20 common habits that get in top performers way and they are all about behaviors and relationships! The road blocks leaders encounter are rarely about intellect or technical skills -- those may have gotten you to a leadership role but refocusing on people around you will get you to the next level. The process presented it tried and tested -- use it and you will get to where you want to be.
Sheryl Dawson
Total Career Success
Author Job Search: The Total System (3rd Ed)

Marshall Goldsmith does an outstanding job of pinpointing behavior needs to be changed. It's for self-aware people who are willing to go the extra mile to become a better manager or leader. It's applicable to the CEO (in fact I've given my COO and corporate president copies) as well as project managers and small group leaders--anybody that must interact with other people. Buy this book--it will make a difference in your life.

In business, there's a fine line between good, "hands on" management and morale killing micro-management; between effective delegation of authority and losing control over an operation or staff. The effective leader knows how to handle these situations with relative ease; the ineffective leader needs help. They need to read this book.

Marshall Goldsmith is one of the foremost business leadership coaches on the planet, and this book is filled with his pragmatic and incisive strategies designed to keep any CEO on the right track; or anyone else for that matter. His approach to some of management's toughest challenges is grounded in good old fashioned common sense, and is presented in a very engaging and down to earth manner.

Goldsmith definitely knows what it takes to be successful; for those looking to maximize their capabilities in business and in life, this is a great place to start.

Very good book for Successful people. Everyone should read this book atleast once.
Product delivered on time.

This is the first book I have ever read on improving the interpersonal relationship. Its take you from personal relation to all sphere of life and its wonderful. Its must read book

Marshall gives excellent advice for executives, however, the same essential principles can also be transferred into anyone's life. As author of "Ponder Picture Prosper," I know that everyone needs to critically review their lives and then implement changes that will move them closer to where they would like to be.Ponder Picture Prosper: A Proven Method for Getting What You Want in Life, Love, and Work

Thank you, Marshall for giving us new tools to expand and enrich our lives!

Marsha Barber Clark
Author
[...]

This book provides thoughtful lessons on professional (and personal) development that will resonate with all. I will share it with all of my clients.
This book is an excellent read for people leaders at all levels (and even those who are not.)

Along similar titles I also recommend these books:
Complete A to Z Guide to earn over $100,000 per year dealing in Used and Rare Books on the Internet: How to 'create' profit in this little known but very profitable & simple business!
Guaranteed Off-Line Guerrilla Marketing Techniques: The Contrarian Secret Strategies for Promoting Yourself or your Business: While everyone is chasing ... these sure-fire methods will book you Solid!

The title fits the contents perfectly. This is a sure guide for all managers and leaders on how to survive the changing business landscape. The book is pretty simple but offers critical advice on issues confronting executives today. You won't be left wondering as the book cites examples for each advice.

Thank you Marshall.

We all have habits, of one kind or another, that are holding us back in our careers. However, we're often unwilling or unable to see how they're harming us. We tend to assume -- particularly if we're successful at what we do -- that our tendency to criticize colleagues, our unwillingness to listen to others, our reclusiveness at work, or whatever our bad habit is, has actually been instrumental to our achievements.

Often, it takes a determined outside observer -- or group of observers -- to see and alert us to how these habits are limiting our success. Marshall Goldsmith's What Got You Here Won't Get You There is a practical, insightful guide to eliciting feedback from others and using it to let go of the behaviors that hold us back.

Dr. Goldsmith offers creative methods for both soliciting feedback from colleagues and maximizing the value we get out of the unsolicited feedback we receive in life. For implementing this feedback, he points to the oft-forgotten virtues of listening, gratitude, apologizing, and following up on others' comments.

It takes courage to look at ourselves and the ways we sabotage ourselves in our careers and elsewhere, but if you're ready to take that step, What Got You Here Won't Get You There is packed with practical exercises and insights to help you do it.

It's hard to find any compliment that has not already been paid to this book or to Marshall Goldsmith. Quite simply, Goldsmith helps us understand how to see the foibles that may be derailing us, release them from our lives, and move on to greater success. It is action-oriented and insightful. If you are looking for a little more success (or a lot more!) then check out this book. A great read with fantastic insights!

This book is an amazing service to any executive who wants to rise to the top or simply be a more effective leader at any level. As an executive coach I have been called in to try to save derailed careers of really smart and talented employees who rose quickly on their merits as individual contributors to only implode in their role as leaders. We all have blind spots, but as a leader you cannot afford to not understand how you are perceived. Marshall calls it out in this book and tells it like it is with the directness and humor that is required to break through your blinding ego. The title says it all. It is a wake-up call to anyone who thinks they do not have to change simply because they had "proven' themselves worthy because of early career success. Pick up this book and pick up your game!

If I was in a management position, maybe this Business for Dummies material would apply. This book is for a small subset of elite executives working for large hierarchical organizations that the HR depart is unable or unwilling to assist. The subject matter is about getting feedback to help those that have reached a level in business where they no longer receive honest feedback from peers and/or subordinates to help them address "elephant in the room" issues. This is a classic tale of the emperor has no clothes. The purpose of this book is primarily for business application only (and/or an unapologetic advertising tool for the author's consulting services)

He nailed the title! It has some 'how to' substance, however relatively little pay off for most anyone on the front line in business. I think the title should be "What Got You Here Won't Get You There:
How Successful EXECUTIVES Become Even More Successful EXECUTIVES."

With that said if you are surrounded by "yes men" then this maybe all that you need to move pass the Peter Principle we all experience in a career and reach the next rung on your corporate ladder climb.

Overall rating: Check it out of the library

Extremely helpful information. I've learned that I need to do more listening, not just at work, but in every relationship. It helped in understanding not just what I can do to make my work situation better, but in better understanding the motives that drive others. I can choose whether or not to buy into the motives and whether or not I will be bothered or pleased by them. Very well written - even witty in some spots. Very much recommended.

Goldsmith has written a book that details for us how we need to act to become successful. This is a nice switch from the lists of vague attributes we need to stive for. We can change behavior, which will eventually effect our character traits. It is the behavior that often keeps us from moving up a ladder, or staying on the ladder once we have moved up. Good solid advice from a coach who seems to know.

As a personal, career, and executive coach, I recommend this book. Not only is it useful for the direct audience of executives and executives in the making, but the lessons are applicable to anyone in any aspect of life. I apply it in my coaching and recommend it to my clients.

I appreciate that Marshall has taken the reader 360 degrees in his book (as a parallel to his use of 360 Feedback as a development tool). He starts the book where the reader is or may be, where many of his clients were: successful past, teetering present, unknown future. His message - as we develop in our career and in our lives, we must continue to develop our career skills.

Marshall then lists the twenty habits that hold you back from the top in the second section of his book, with a bonus 21st habit. Section 3, however sets this book apart. This is the "what next" part of the book. Marshall sets out steps of how we can change for the better.

Goldsmith has a fun and engaging voice, yet, I feel like I heard too much bragging and ego. Some examples from your own experience gain you credibility, too much makes the reader tired of pushing his client examples.

[...]

Marshall Goldsmith--author, coach, and savvy marketer--spells out the twenty most common bad habits of executives in this book, but you don't need to be an executive to benefit from his advice. Everyone could stand to take responsibility for their actions, keep a positive and generous attitude, and work on (not celebrate) their faults--which is, essentially, the message of the book.

Here, in Goldsmith's own words, are the twenty habits to avoid:

1. Winning too much: The need to win at all costs and in all situations--when it matters, when it doesn't, and when it's totally beside the point

2. Adding too much value: The overwhelming desire to add our two cents to every discussion

3. Passing judgment: The need to rate others and impose our standards on them

4. Making destructive comments: The needless sarcasms and cutting remarks that we think make us sound sharp and witty

5. Starting with "No," "But," or "However": The overuse of these negative qualifiers which secretly say to everyone, "I'm right. You're wrong."

6. Telling the world how smart we are: The need to show people we're smarter than they think we are

7. Speaking when angry: Using emotional volatility as a management tool

8. Negativity, or "Let me explain why that won't work": The need to share our negative thoughts even when we weren't asked

9. Withholding information: The refusal to share information in order to maintain 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; a subset of blaming everyone else

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 when we're wrong, or recognize how our actions affect others

16. Not listening: The most passive-aggressive form of disrespect for 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 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're who we are

As a coach, I have seen executives exhibit these habits. It's not that surprising really. Many of these habits develop because executives are accustomed to success and, therefore, reluctant to accept failure. These executives don't always get to work with people who are as smart or talented as they are, which can be frustrating and spark anger.

While the habits Goldsmith addresses are understandable, they aren't defensible. Leaders often come to this realization themselves. They reach a point in their careers where they want to be respected more than feared. They want to change the way they show up.

Goldsmith gives wonderful illustrations of these twenty habits and some suggestions on how to move away from them. So do yourself a favor and get this book, which is available in paperback, audio, and kindle. What Got You Here Won't Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful

This book was recommended by many of the professors in my MBA program. It describes the way that technical skills become less important as you move forward in your career. Other soft or interpersonal skills become more important. I have seen this happen in my own career path and agree with the idea.

In the book, Goldsmith outlines 20 common vices that managers have. They are simple things that we just need to stop doing in order to be even more successful. He also outlines some important things that we should be doing.

Overall the book is a great read. Points are explained clearly and there are plenty of examples. Many of them are even comical and entertaining.

In 'What Got You Here Won't Get You There', Marshall Goldsmith distills the essence of leadership derailers into 20 practical maxims. His clarity enables leaders to recognize their own behaviors. His simplicity indicates that while the actions are powerful anyone can implement them. And then Marshall provides insights into how to adopt the discipline to make the desired change by focusing on the important few things and involving others in our development. This book is a standard in executive coaching and leadership development. I recommend it to my coaching clients.

Susan Reece, PhD
CEO Dalton Spencer Consulting, Inc

What Got You Here Won't Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful

I've been a raving fan of Marshall Goldsmith and his work since 1996 with the release of "The Leader of the Future", and since then I have purchased, consumed, high-lighted and shamelessly repurposed just about everything he has produced over the years. In my view, this book surpasses all that precedes it.

This is not surprising, as Marshall Goldsmith's style - highly intuitive and wise, yet personable and self-deprecating - has clearly been informed by the experience and pattern recognition gained with the passage of time. If you've been in business for any length of time, then little in this book needs explained by mountainous appendices of data: while reading, you will experience not so much a learning experience (in terms of learning a lot of new things that had never occurred to you before), than a growing recognition of how you act as a leader, and an awareness of the meaning and implication of those acts. Think of it as a long, informative and challenging look in the mirror.

As someone who helps organizations, teams and leaders to grow, this book is one of the very few external resources I thoroughly recommend - in fact, I ask each executive I work with to look at the "20 habits" listed on pp 40 and 41 as a starting point for our discussions - and I similarly recommend it to you. Whether you're a business leader, or someone who wishes to be a business leader, or, like me, someone who works with business leaders, then this book will repay its investment a thousand-fold (but be prepared for your initial investment to grow - I've given the book away so many times, the dog-eared copy in front of me is my tenth...).

This book came along at an ideal time in my career. I found myself needing to go to the next level and Goldsmith identified the behaviors holding me back. Of the 20 most common faulty behaviors, I practiced 5 of them. Perhaps the most significant point for me was the realization that the most common struggles for business leaders isn't about knowledge or skill; rather, it is behavior. Behavior can be changed.

Goldsmith's experience comes through loud and clear. I highly recommend this book.

I read What Got You Here Won't Get You There in 2008 and became an instant fan of Marshall Goldsmith. His list of "20 habits that hold you back from the top" was right on. I can think of several executives I've worked with over the years who needed to hear his basic message: If you want to be an effective leader, your people need to trust you. The way to do build that trust is to park your ego and be authentic. His list of the "seven things you can do to be more effective" is good advice not just for executives, but anyone who works in an organization. My personal favorite on the list is "thanking."

I became even more of a fan when I caught his presentation at Google University on U-Tube in which he demonstrated his famous "feedforward" process. Feedforward involves asking others for specific suggestions for changing a problem behavior. This four-step process requires the seeker to listen to the suggestions without comment and express gratitude by simply saying "thank you."

In fact, I admire Dr. Goldsmith so much that when my editor asked me who I'd like to write the forward to my business fable book, The Napkin, the Melon & the Monkey, I immediately thought of Marshall Goldsmith. (I self-published the book in 2006 and sold the rights to publishing giant Hay House. Hay House will release the hard cover version in February 2010.)

I wrote Dr. Goldsmith an email in which I introduced myself and described what my book was about. I pointed out that even though the audience for our books were different (his were executives and my book was business self help geared to a broader audience) we shared a belief in the importance of cultivating mindfulness. I closed by asking him to consider writing the forward.

As a first-time author and a relative nobody, I half expected that I would never hear from him. That's why I was flabbergasted when I received a friendly reply a few days later. He apologized for not having time to write a forward but said he would be happy to endorse my book.

The man practices what he preaches. In his most recent email to me he thanked me for inviting him to endorse my book. What a guy.

The skills and attributes that underpin a successful executive career are subtly different than those that will support a successful board career. This book was written for executives but the lessons apply to the boardroom. Possibly they apply even more in that environment. "The higher you go, the more your problems are behavioural" concludes Marshall Goldsmith after some twenty years of coaching senior executives in Fortune 500 companies.

Goldsmith coaches people to make simple changes. These simple changes are difficult to make.

His message is delivered simple and straight. It is a difficult read because you recognise yourself in the examples of undesirable behaviours. Goldsmith cuts through the clutter with the simple advice that we all do all of these things from time to time; we only need to fix the behaviours that are holding us back.

As Goldsmith only deals with successful people he is working to fine-tune an already high performance. This is not a `self-help 1.01' book. It is for people who have become successful while exhibiting certain behaviours but who are now held back by those behaviours. It is hard to change behaviours that are associated with success. This book is not about a quick fix. It is about a long and consistent process that, if followed, will help to build new habits.

Board members struggle to gain entry to the coterie of successful directors. Choosing the right habits to build could accelerate acceptance. Choosing the wrong ones could leave you as you are; only more frustrated. The process relies on external feedback and validation to select the behaviours that need changing. This is daunting for board members given the confidential nature of boardrooms and the team-based nature of the role. Having a third party gather the feedback and qualify the participants to provide feedback makes this easier. If you don't have a professional coach to help you extract the value from this book you will need a trustworthy friend who understands boards and boardroom dynamics.

The book is a call to action. It is especially relevant for aspiring directors or those at the start of their career. It is also great for those sudden changes in board careers such as taking on a committee chairmanship or moving into a different sector. When you are new you need to be more adept at the behavioural skills to compensate for your lack of track record.

It would be exciting to apply this long process to the board performance review to build a lasting improvement in the quality of board interactions.

This is a worthwhile book; it is good but not easy.


* Julie Garland McLellan is a professional non-executive director, board and governance consultant and mentor. She is the author of "The Director's Dilemma", "All Above Board: Great Governance for the Government Sector" and numerous articles on corporate strategy and governance.

From helping executives overcome self-limiting beliefs on their way to the top spot, to showing them how to succeed in navigating interpersonal relationships to help them stay there, Marshall Goldsmith's career-boosting book "What Got You Here Won't Get You There" is jam-packed with the kind of coaching advice for which his clients pay thousands of dollars per hour. This book makes it accessible to everyone. It's a must-have for any leader's reading list.

Dr. Goldsmith's book -- basically 20 behaviors that won't get me from here to there and 7 that will-- is a pleasure to read. It's funny; it's poignant; it's practical. So many authors get so involved in their own writing that they lose the message -- and me as a reader. Dr. Goldsmith keeps it real. He says what he means and moves on to the next topic. And by the way, it's all really helpful information. Wow. What a package!

I have known Marshall for 38 years and have always been impressed with his practical wisdom. He is prolific in his writing, yet this book is the first time he has written this extensively about how he helps successful people improve. The book is worth the read if only for the 20 unrecognizable habits. If someone reads this book and comes away with nothing to learn about themselves, then they are close to becoming a saint. Marshall is able to communicate in a way that we do see ourselves in a more accurate and useful way. Many a famous writer has been quoted as saying "this is the greatest gift of all."

Not only will you find out how successful people become even more successful, you'll discover the twenty workplace habits you need to break, which are at the heart of Goldsmith's book. For example, "The higher you go, the more your problems become behavioral." And Goldsmith's not talking about the behavior of people who work FOR us. He's talking about us. Ouch! His practical tips on how to change for the better address each of the habits, and can be put into effect immediately and easily. And the book itself is a quick, snappy read.

After reading reviews, thought that this book would be great. Unfortunately, it was boring, dry and overall uninformative. I'm used to the quick pace of books like Freakonomics, Tipping Point, or Good to Great. I kept thinking it would get better, but it never did. The author kept going on about his clients and all the great work he does. PASS on this one... its a dull read.

This is a brilliant work and I highly recommend it for anyone strong enough to acknowledge that they can always improve. I've listened to it twice already, have recommended it to several friends and plan on repeating it even more. I've also printed out the 21 bad habits and posted them on the wall near my desk as a constant reminder of my efforts. My only quibble with the book is that the author's reading is substandard. Even though it is his material, and the material is incredibly useful, it sounds like he's reading something slightly foreign to him and emotionally he is one dimensional. A professional actor would've been better, which is the only reason I didn't give this 5 stars (the material is definitely 5 star worthy). But that being said, this is still a must have.

I wanted to say "this book is awful, you'd never catch me doing that, I wouldn't dream of it..."

And if I did I would be lying. This book is powerful, and makes the strong case for 360 feedback- we all have our blind spots, and sometimes it is worth knowing what they are. Goldsmith knows his quarry, and our common flaws, very well.

This book makes the good point that most successful people get where they are on a mixture of ability and spin, and that may take them a long way up the corporate or professional ladder. Classically Western education has been about learning a subject, not about learning to understand yourself and your motivations. What the author adds is an appreciation that all virtues are shadowed by the vices of their excess and their lack. He shows how using 360 feedback on the basis that you don't know how you come across unless you've asked your co-workers and significant customers can help people develop further, increase their insight and their contribution to their work. The workers he assesses may well end up enjoying their work more, and getting promotions.

This book is well written, and it is on the great old theme of how we come to know ourselves accurately.

I think it would help most people in business and in professions to progress further, and even better to do this with their own and their colleagues sanity and respect intact.

"What Got You Here Won't Get You There" is a must read for anyone serious about reaching higher levels of success. This book is packed with great advice on how to recognize what is holding you back and what to do about it.

I particularly liked Marshall's suggestions on soliciting feedback and how to listen. Feedback is the key to facing the truth and seeing ourselves as we truly are. It is the foundation to self-improvement. His approach to receiving feedback truly works and will quickly put you on a path to better performance and improved relationships.

As an HR Executive we have been using this book in our executive team meetings. Each month we have taken 3 or 4 of the habits, reviewed, and discussed. It has given us some great insight. We now have a number of line managers reviewing the book as well.

First off, Marshall Goldsmith is a class act. I have started a couple of internet businesses on personal development and wealth creation. Every time I have contacted Marshall, he has always been caring and good at offering great advice to me and my clients. Even at my earliest stages of business experience with internet marketing, when I would ask for Marshall's time, there was never a judgement from Marshall about how well I was going to market his material or help get his name out there. He has genuinely cared about my success. That is difficult to find; signs of a real "leader".
What an outstanding book on Leadership! I particularly liked The 21 Success Factors he said would take you to the next level. I have read many books on leadership and this one helped me really dig deep and find out what I could apply immediately to make me a more effective leader; not just in my role as a sales manager, but with my other businesses as well.
If you are a real leader, you will enjoy reading about Marshall's Behavioral Model he has designed. I am not going to try and explain it to you; order the book, you will be grateful you did.

This book is an excellent resource for the Executive Coach's toolbox. Not only was it useful to me personally, I recommend it to many of my coaching clients and then we talk about which of the 20 habits play a role in their lives. It is a great book - a must read!

Bonnie Hagemann
CEO
Executive Development Associates

Marshall identifies 20 common interpersonal behavior and leadership flaws performed by one person against another. Any one or combination of the 20 characteristics limit our effectiveness to lead our organization. Good leaders get results through others, great leaders get results through others and develop them in the process. Leadership culture is the single most important factor in determining the level of organizational productivity and achievement.

The first requirement of any change is to develop awareness. Marshall does a great job of helping the reader understand the flaws, determine which we use and how to make our own personal improvements. A must read for all leaders looking for knowledge on how to become more effective as a manager and leader.

Author of Five Hidden Mistakes CEOs Make, How To Unlock the Secrets That Drive Growth and Profitability

Marshall Goldsmith has long been one of my favorites - and he is once again. His unique approach has continues to break through obstacles. Full of tips, techniques and tools, this is a must read.

Susan Bock
Creating Your Map to Business Success with GPS(tm)
Executive Coaching and Business Consulting for Entrepreneurial Women
www.SusanBockSolutions.com

I bought this as an audio book. I liked the candid stories and examples that Goldsmith uses to outline his points. In a nutshell this book offers:

1) Straightforward and simple advice on doing the right thing.

2) Basic steps to stay accountable.

3) Insights that are not just business focussed, but rather holistic in taking into account the family and relationships you build.

4) Useful ideas to help you stay where you are (at the top) and skills to help you move further.

This is a well rounded book that is useful for folks at every level and stage of their business and life. Well worth the read.

Todd Millar, Glenn Simon Inc.

What important people skills should a CEO have? Interpersonal skills are important. One important skill is communicating Vision. Vison units the group. You can't force people to work together. You can't mandate synergy. You can't manufacture harmony.

The higher one climbs in the corporate ladder the more important people skills become.

Do you use information to maintain a competitive advantage over others?

Do you use needless sarcasm and cutting remarks to make yourself look sharp and whitty?

When someone challenges your decision, do you argue with them? Can you establish authority through arguing? If the person stops arguing with you, does it mean you won or the other person is cutting his loses and abandoning the conversation? The problem with arguing is that it may not be persuasive or impactful

Does:

When someone offers a less-than-brilliant idea in a meeting, don't criticize it. Say nothing.

When someone challenges one of your decisions, don't argue with them or make excuses. Quietly consider it and say nothing.

When someone makes a helpful suggestion, don't remind them that you already knew that. Thank them and say nothing.

Peter Drucker said, "We spend a lot of time teaching leaders what to do. We don't spend enough time teaching leaders what to stop. Half the leader I have met don't need to learn what to do. They need to learn what to stop."

What keeps you coming to work every day: Money, power, status, or popularity?

People change their behavior when it is in their best interest as defined by their values. People tend to follow behavior that is followed by positive reinforcement.

Successful people dislike feeling they are controlled or manipulated.

Successful people have optimism. They believe they will succeed.

Successful people believe in themselves. Successful people believe that they have the capability within themselves to make desirable things happen. Successful people don't think they are victims.

Successful people believe in their talents and skills.

One great mistake people believe is "I behave this way, and I achieve results. Therefore, I must be achieving results because I behave this way."

Can't people think better, if they are steered in the correct direction by their leaders?

Identify a personal habit that is annoying to your coworkers and work to eliminate it. By eliminating the annoying behavior, you retain value in the organization. The skills and habits that have taken you this far might not be the right skills and habits to take you further.

Be Nice. Break away from the perception of being arrogant, inattentive, rude, and omniscient. Listen without prejudice. Don't be delusional about your weaknesses.

This book is definitely a 'Toss'. No wonder there are 90 used copies on sale, today. The author gives a list of "transactional flaws" on pp. 40-41. That is one high-flutin phrase. This is common sense stuff we should be teaching our kids at home. I'm sorry I wasted money on this boring book which is very good at stating the obvious.

Sociologists and behavioral therapists have long known that there is profound truth in the statement, "Awareness is the key to change," which means unless you know you're engaging in destructive behavior you tend to continue doing it. Interestingly, successful individuals are often blinded from their own counterproductive conduct because those negative patterns and habits are hidden beneath achievements. Author Marshall Goldsmith writes insightfully in his book - What Got You Here, Won't Get You There - about the delusion of success and how it can hinder high achievers from further advancement. Soundview highly recommends this introspective book because Goldsmith lists the 20 habits that may be holding you back and how you can reverse these crippling cycles. For each trait, the author provides relatable examples and practical solutions, as well as what tends to drive all these hindering behaviors - which he dubs the "21st habit." This book may change the way you view yourself and how you treat others for the better, and that's a habit worth having.