What Got You Here Won’t Get You There Summary – March 2022

Detailed Summary

In the book, the author Marshall Goldsmith talks about the awful interpersonal and character traits of leaders that stops them from becoming more successful. The author has named it “Success delusions” and talked about how to overcome them.

According to the author, the presumption that “I am successful” is one of the most common mistakes made by successful people. “This is how I act. As a result, I am successful because I act in this manner” The problem is to show them that, despite their bad behaviour, they can be successful at times. Because we generally confine our change endeavours to what we need to start doing, the author focuses on activities that successful individuals need to cease doing. He also claims that it’s easier to cease doing negative things than it is to make a large number of beneficial changes all at once.

As a result, he identified twenty behaviours, the most prevalent flaws and obstacles in interpersonal conduct, which he calls “transactional flaws done by one person against another,” those successful individuals have and how to overcome them.

What Got You Here Won’t Get You There Summary Key Points

Recognizing and overcoming destructive behaviour is a part of the success

Next up in the What Got You Here Won’t Get You There Summary, we get a lesson that being able to recognise and avoid detrimental behaviour is an important aspect of any accomplishment. This holds true in the job, as well as in health and relationships. And it is critical for executives and leaders to recognise this and set a positive example from the top. But one issue with giving up detrimental habits is that many people believe they are just a part of their personality.

Corporations can be an odd place to work at times. It’s partly due to the fact that the norms we follow automatically in our personal lives don’t seem to apply at work! However, Goldsmith reminds out that job and personal activities are not that dissimilar. As a result, we may frequently improve corporate culture by consulting common sense.

For instance, we should value avoiding poor judgments and behaviours at work just as much as we do in our personal lives. Consider that for a moment. You will undoubtedly congratulate your friend if they successfully quit smoking. But what if an employee cancels an agreement that would be detrimental to the company? You’re probably not going to notice it as much as you would if they closed a good transaction.

Change for the better

The author has also guided us on how to overcome the bad behaviours and has shared some steps to fix them.

Firstly, the author advises that if you receive feedback in whatever form, don’t react to it. Instead, reply to it, don’t dispute, and absorb it. Secondly, if you recognise you’ve done something wrong, the author suggests letting go of your ego and pride, accepting your mistake and transgression, and just apologising. Telling the world, when you understand your mistake, accept it, and apologise for it, you should also understand the behaviour you want to change.

According to the author, apologies are meaningless unless they are accompanied by some effort. Also, pay attention when someone is speaking to you, the author advises that you listen to them, never interrupt them. Another tip shared by the author is to thank people. Whenever someone does something kind or useful for you, you should always thank them, and you should make time to thank them. Keep in touch when you comprehend and decide to make changes in your life, such as eliminating undesirable behaviours, the author believes you must follow through.

Don’t focus on your personal success only but inspire others as well

Although, people who excel in business are frequently those who desire to win. It’s hardly unexpected, being competitive at some time in your career will undoubtedly benefit you. However, after you’ve reached a certain level of accomplishment, a strong desire to win might get in the way. According to Goldsmith, success at the top of the corporate ladder isn’t about personal triumph. It should instead be centred on letting others shine and also inspire others around you to do better. This necessitates the leader stepping down from their own throne and looking at the big picture. It’s no longer about “being correct.” The goal is to use your position to empower others and work together to create a shared vision. Listening to others’ thoughts without trying to improve on them is one actionable step toward this goal.

According to the author, if someone comes to you with a wonderful idea and you strive to improve it, you may be doing them a disservice. You’re taking away their passion and control over the project by giving them the idea that what they came up with isn’t good enough. It is critical – perhaps ironically – for a high-level leader who wants to become even more successful to break out from their self-absorption. When you focus your efforts on fully empowering others, you will be rewarded with increased respect, trust, and readiness to collaborate.

Who would I recommend What Got You Here Won’t Get You There Summary to?

What Got You Here Won’t Get You There Summary is recommended to all leaders who need to improve their communication skills with their employees and workers. Moreover, anyone who needs to know how to be direct with people needs to read this.

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