This is not a book for the squeamish. In "What Go You Here Won’t Get You There", Marshall Goldsmith takes readers down the corporate corridor of behavioral horror, detailing with a knowing eye and wicked mirth how self centered, myopic, egotistical, and down right obnoxious the most ‘successful’ of executives can be. The author’s premise is that many leaders make a fundamental error regarding their behavioral foibles: “I behave this way, and I achieve results. Therefore, I must be achieving results because I behave this way.” It’s the difference between being successful because one acts a certain way vs being successful in spite of these troublesome behaviors. Thus, one executive who received low marks for providing positive feedback to his team rationalized his stinginess by declaring:

a. He had high standards and his staff rarely met them.
b. Indiscriminately praising others cheapened its perceived value
c. Singling out people would weaken the team by creating jealousy issues

After persistent questioning from Goldshmith, our otherwise highly intelligent executive comes to realize that the above rationalizations reflect his vanity – the excessive need to be me – not a healthy, effective approach to leading his team. Following this epiphany his behavior changes, his team responds with increased output, his career soars, and Goldsmith happily collects his multi-six figure check.

For readers who are versed in behavioral style models like the DiSC or Myers Briggs, most of Goldsmith’s personal flaws inventory: Winning too much, adding too much value, passing judgment, making destructive comments, telling the world how smart we are, speaking when angry, and the above mentioned excessive need to be ‘me,’ are more indicative of Dominant or Extroverted styles. If you or your boss is introverted or more passive in nature, this book will not provide nearly as much insight, except for detailing how bad the opposite issues can be. Having said this, I found myself painting many pages with yellow highlighter. If you are an aspiring leader, Goldsmith's insights may save you, and those who will someday work for you, years of frustration and stress. If you are already leading others and possess an assertive personality type, prepare for immediate impact.