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What Got You Here Won't Get You There in Sales: How Successful Salespeople Take It to the Next Level

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Kick your bad habits-and CLOSE MORE SALES!

"I love this book, especially the importance of empathy-care enough about what you are selling to personalize its value to your customer!"
-Jim Farley, VP Global Marketing, Ford Motor Company

"In over 20 years of sales leadership, I had yet to see someone describe self-improvement through the elimination of existing behaviors rather than the creation of new ones-what a simple, concise, and personally applicable developmental tool. This is a must-read for everyone in sales!"
-Chris Richardson, VP Global Sales, Abbott Vascular

"Don Brown and Bill Hawkins, collaborating with Marshall Goldsmith's incredible insight, have created strategy and ideas that will help you grow, sell more, and prosper!"
-Jeffrey Gitomer, author of The Little Red Book of Selling

"What Got You Here Won't Get You There in Sales! is a practical guide for anyone in sales-they hit the nail on the head! Read this book to learn how to build your relationships with customers while shedding the habits that are holding you back!"
-Tom Reilly, author of Value-Added Selling

"Deep and meaningful connections with people in business can change the trajectory of your career. This is a brilliant playbook for professionals who want to step up their game and truly own their success. I have seen the power of this approach in action-and IT WORKS!"
-Rich Daly, Executive Vice President, Takeda Pharmaceuticals

About the Book:

One of the most influential business coaches of our time, Marshall Goldsmith helps businesspeople pinpoint career-harming behaviors, understand why they engage in them and, most importantly-stop. His book What Got You Here Won't Get You There wasn't just a runaway bestseller, it has helped untold numbers dramatically improve their careers and personal lives.

Now, Goldsmith teams up with leading sales thought leaders Don Brown and Bill Hawkins to help you break the habits that specifically damage sales relationships. This dream team's combined clients have increased their sales from 5 to 30 percent-and their gross profit up to 50 percent! In short, their approach works.

What Got You Here Won't Get You There in Sales! provides simple-to-use tools for maintaining and leveraging quality personal connections by doing something much easier than learning new behaviors: simply stopping old ones. When dealing with your customers, do you:


Needlessly verbalize and execute every possible step in the sales process? Repeatedly initiate communication for no apparent purpose? Attempt to verbally "one up" your customer in conversation? The authors name 16 bad habits in all, and they provide proven techniques for reversing their negative effects by putting them to rest for good. There is no profession that depends more on good relationships than sales. And there's no one more qualified to coach you to create and nurture productive sales relationships than these three authors.

You do have the power to change. Let Goldsmith, Brown, and Hawkins help you kick your bad habits to improve relationships, increase sales, and enjoy a more fulfilling, enriching career.

225 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 28, 2006

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About the author

Marshall Goldsmith

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,358 reviews
Profile Image for Dr. Appu Sasidharan (Dasfill).
1,381 reviews3,629 followers
February 11, 2024
This book tells us how to build a solid relationship with our colleagues by showing gratitude and remaining open for criticism. He tells us how a simple thank you to our coworkers can bring an extraordinary change in our life. This book might not give us too many new ideas. But it is still a good one to read, especially if you are new to the world of self-help books.

“We spend a lot of time teaching leaders what to do. We don’t spend enough time teaching leaders what to stop. Half the leaders I have met don’t need to learn what to do. They need to learn what to stop.”

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Profile Image for Andy Mitchell.
279 reviews76 followers
Read
August 9, 2011
The author summarizes 20 of the worst interpersonal habits successful employees exhibit in the workplace:



1) Feeling the need to win too much

2) Adding too much value to a conversation

3) Passing judgment

4) Making destructive comments

5) Starting with "No," "But," or "However"

6) Telling people how smart we are

7) Speaking when angry

8) Negativity, "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

17) Failing to express gratitude

18) Punishing the messenger

19) Passing the buck

20) An excessive need to be "me"



After identifying your worst one or two bad habits, use the following process to improve your effectiveness:



1) apologize

2) advertise your plan to change

3) listen

4) give thanks

5) follow up monthly for 12-18 months

6) practice feedforward, not feedback: ask for two ideas for future improvement, listen, say thank you, and repeat the process with several other people



If you'd like to improve your life at work and at home, I highly recommend this book!
Profile Image for Tom LA.
679 reviews279 followers
December 4, 2023
If you made it to the executive suite and you're a gigantic asshole, congratulations!! This book is just for you.

Marshall Goldsmith will be happy to get paid good money to teach you how to become great at pretending that you're not an immature ego-maniac.

Anyone else: steer away, far away.

Also, something about biz books in general: far too often they bear abstract and general titles that promise great depths of analysis and solutions, but once you get through them you realize they are either an ego-trip by the author (I'll take you through what I have done and why I'm the best ape in the world) or a collection of anecdotes that almost never represent a serious analysis of the subject at hand.
Profile Image for ☘Misericordia☘ ⚡ϟ⚡⛈⚡☁ ❇️❤❣.
2,526 reviews19.2k followers
November 29, 2018
Q:
... this “we will succeed” attitude leads to staff burnout, high turnover, and a weaker team than the one you started with... (c)
Q:
People who believe they can succeed see opportunities where others see threats. (c)
Q:
Successful people become great leaders when they learn to shift the focus from themselves to others. (c)
Q:
We spend a lot of time teaching leaders what to do. We don’t spend enough time teaching leaders what to stop. Half the leaders I have met don’t need to learn what to do. They need to learn what to stop. (c)
Q:
Treat every piece of advice as a gift or a compliment and simply say, “Thank you.” (c)
Q:
Try this: For one week treat every idea that comes your way from another person with complete neutrality. Think of yourself as a human Switzerland. Don’t take sides. Don’t express an opinion. Don’t judge the comment. If you find yourself constitutionally incapable of just saying “Thank you,” make it an innocuous, “Thanks, I hadn’t considered that.” Or, “Thanks. You’ve given me something to think about. (c)
Q:
Successful people never drink from a glass that’s half empty. (c)
Q:
If you want to change anything about yourself, the best time to start is now. Ask yourself, “What am I willing to change now?” Just do that. That’s more than enough. For now. (c)
Q:
All other things being equal, your people skills (or lack of them) become more pronounced the higher up you go. In fact, even when all other things are not equal, your people skills often make the difference in how high you go. (c)
Q:
But for some reason, many people enjoy living in the past, especially if going back there lets them blame someone else for anything that’s gone wrong in their lives. That’s when clinging to the past becomes an interpersonal problem. We use the past as a weapon against others. (c)
Q:
Warren Buffett advised that before you take any morally questionable action, you should ask yourself if you would want your mother to read about it in the newspaper. (c)
Q:
When you start a sentence with “no,” “but,” “however,” or any variation thereof, no matter how friendly your tone or how many cute mollifying phrases you throw in to acknowledge the other person’s feelings, the message to the other person is You are wrong. (c)
Q:
cognitive dissonance. It refers to the disconnect between what we believe in our minds and what we experience or see in reality. The underlying theory is simple. The more we are committed to believing that something is true, the less likely we are to believe that its opposite is true, even in the face of clear evidence that shows we are wrong. For example, if you believe your colleague Bill is a jerk, you will filter Bill’s actions through that belief. No matter what Bill does, you’ll see it through a prism that confirms he’s a jerk. Even the times when he’s not a jerk, you’ll interpret it as the exception to the rule that Bill’s a jerk. It may take years of saintly behavior for Bill to overcome your perception. That’s cognitive dissonance applied to others. It can be a disruptive and unfair force in the workplace. (c)
Q:
As a general rule, people in their 20s want to learn on the job. In their 30s they want to advance. And in their 40s they want to rule. No matter what their age, though, understanding their desires is like trying to pin down mercury. (c)
Q:
The only natural law I’ve witnessed in three decades of observing successful people’s efforts to become more successful is this: People will do something—including changing their behavior—only if it can be demonstrated that doing so is in their own best interests as defined by their own values. (c)
Q:
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 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. (c)
Q:
There is never anyone in the other boat. When we are angry, we are screaming at an empty vessel. (c)
Q:
If you keep your mouth shut, no one can ever know how you really feel. (c)
Profile Image for Brandice.
1,222 reviews
March 4, 2020
What Got You Here Won’t Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful isn’t full of novel ideas (even in 2007, when it was published), but is a solid reminder of the importance soft skills play in achieving success.

Over the last several years, it seems companies have placed greater emphasis on soft skills, which is good — People want to like their coworkers and feel they can rely on their team.

Marshall Goldsmith, an executive coach, provides reminders on how to make career progress, most notably by building credible work relationships. Some suggestions are obvious and easy (Say thank you). Others can be a little more challenging, particularly with egos at play (Soliciting honest feedback then openly committing to trying to be better).

What Got You Here Won’t Get You There was recommended at a conference I attended last year by one of the panel speakers. I’m not sure I would’ve otherwise read it, but it was a nice refresher. The biggest takeaway is the reminder to do things. Follow up on what you learn — Implement small steps, practicing them routinely in order to build them into habits. Don’t watch, do.
Profile Image for Jerry Smith.
875 reviews17 followers
July 8, 2019
There is so much good stuff in here. I particularly like the 20 habits section as, although they are common sense things, they all need to be brought up again and again.

The thrust of the book is all about how, as a successful person, you can go to the next level. It also points out how these destructive behaviors don't hold you back until you get to a certain level in a company, then they become a problem.

Some of the points are well made and insightful. So far (having not finished it yet) the bias is very strongly toward those in a corporate, management situation which is where Goldsmith works and is extremely succcessful himself.

Although well illustrated by stories and anecdotes (including about himself) I find the continual reference to how he worked with highly successful people and made them better grates after a while. There is too much emphasis on "this client of mine" and every story doesn't need to start with that phrase which begins to be self-congratulatory to my mind and eventually annoying.

I am going to stop reading it now - may come back to it
Profile Image for Shimaa Mokhtar.
180 reviews153 followers
April 29, 2018
لم أخرج من الكتاب بأي شئ جديد، أكثر من 300 صفحة من الهراء
Profile Image for Yevgeniy Brikman.
Author 4 books729 followers
December 8, 2018
One of those books on communication, behavior, etiquette, and leadership that made me realize I'm a terrible human being I have a lot to learn. I'm guilty of so many of the "bad" behaviors in the book that I felt almost personally attacked. At least I'm aware of this now and can start to change.

The key argument in the book is that it's behavior, not technical skills, that separate the great from everyone else, and this book details a number of behavioral changes you can make to be more successful. Here are some of the highlights:

* As you go higher in an organization, (a) the more your success depends on making other people successful & effective rather than yourself, (b) the more your suggestions become interpreted as orders, and (c) the more your success depends on inter-personal skills rather than technical skills. I've spent my whole career trying to build up my technical skills as a software engineer and writer, but I'm becoming keenly aware that to level up further, I'm going to have to focus much more on inter-personal skills.

* It is possible to try to add too much value. When someone brings up an idea, your first instinct may be to critique or add to that idea. Sometimes, that adds value, but more often, especially if you're in a leadership position, doing this will kill that person's excitement and sense of ownership around that idea. So before critiquing, stop, and ask, "is it worth it?" Unless you've identified a show-stopping problem or come up with a game-changing addition (which is rare!), you may be better off keeping your feedback to yourself, and just encouraging the other person to run with their idea. I don't quite know how to balance this with my love of tossing ideas back and forth and coming up with clever hacks and elegant solutions...

* Taking this idea further, don't interrupt people if you already know what they are going to ask, don't tell them you've already heard their idea before, don't show off your knowledge by pointing out how you discovered this thing years before. When someone brings you a new idea or asks a question, don't use it as an opportunity to show you're smart or knowledgeable! I'm so damn guilty of this :(

* Most successful people need to create a "to-stop" list rather than a "to do" list, as they are already doing way too many things. You are "drowning in a sea of opportunity." The only solution is to examine where you're spending your time and to eliminate all but the most critical items.

* The correct way to respond to ALL feedback, positive or negative, is to say, "Thank you" and NOTHING ELSE. Don't judge the feedback, don't reply with a comment or snide remark, and don't get into an argument. If you do, you'll never get honest feedback again. Instead, stay neutral, genuinely thank the person for taking the time to share their feedback, save that feedback for your own future consideration, and move on.

* If people aren't volunteering feedback, the only valid question you can use to seek out feedback is, “how can I do better?" You can use more specific variations of this, such as, "how can I do better at X?" This works because people are often willing to share advice on what can be done in the future, whereas they might be hesitant to critique what you did wrong in the past (especially if you're in a position of power). The only way to get feedback for other types of questions is to have other people ask on your behalf and to use anonymous surveys.

* Gratitude is not a scarce or limited resource. Say thank you often. Say thank you publicly. Who are the 25 people that helped you most to get here in life? Make a list of them and review that list on a regular basis to make sure you're thanking them often and clearly.

* If you've done something wrong in the past, to fix it, the first step is to apologize. Apologies have incredible power and most people don't use them enough. The proper way to apologize is:
(1) Say, "I'm sorry. I will try to do better." Don't add anything else. Don't make excuses. Just admit you did something wrong, apologize for it, and make it clear you'll try to improve in the future.
(2) Make sure people know you're making a change. That means that after apologizing, you need to follow up regularly to make people aware of your new behavior and see if it's working. You'll have to follow up many, many times before the message gets through at all.

* When you're talking to someone, devote your entire attention to them. This sort of active listening requires a lot of energy, but is incredibly powerful. Bill Clinton was known for making people he talked to feel like they were the only person in the room—maybe even the only person in the world. He had the ability to, "brag about you to you." That ability can get you pretty far.

* As a manager, you need to remember that you’re not managing you. That is, the golden rule doesn't always apply, as treating people the way you'd want to be treated does not work since (a) not everyone wants to be treated the same way and (b) due to a power imbalance, employees can't possibly treat you the same way. Example: you might love to come to a decision through vigorous debate, but (a) not everyone likes to make decisions that way and (b) if you're in a leadership position, it's not a fair fight, as due to the power imbalance, subordinates won't be able to argue with you at the same level.

* Making changes like the ones described in this book doesn't mean you're changing your whole personality or who you are. Tweaking small traits and behaviors can have a profound impact and no one will think lesser of you for making these changes.

* You will never not be busy. Stop waiting for the time when "things will be less crazy." Instead, start making changes right now.

So many useful insights. So much to work on. I guess here's one small step forward: thank you Marshall Goldsmith for writing a great book.
Profile Image for Mayar Hassan.
180 reviews295 followers
May 12, 2018
عودة إلى كتب التنمية الذاتية بعد انقطاع طويل، وتلك المرة عن كتاب حول النجاح
الكتاب يركز بشكل كبير على العادات السلوكية الخاطئة التي تقف سبيل عثرة في طريق النجاح وكيفية التخلص منها، ويوجه الكاتب العديد من النصائح بعضها عملية وقابلة للتطبيق وبعضها مجرد حبر على ورق
لم استفد من الكتاب كثيراً، لكنه رغم ذلك يحوى عض الفصول الممتعة ويستحق القراءة
Profile Image for Megan.
42 reviews
June 6, 2008
Really? You couldn't have told me all this in like 10 pages. I felt like he kept saying the same thing over, and over, and over again. Commonsense 101, how unfortunate that we live in a society that has to write a book to tell people you should send a thank you note. Isn't that a sweet little lesson grandma's teach you when your four?
Profile Image for Eva.
486 reviews1 follower
September 13, 2011
Copied-and-pasted summary:

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 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 you 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 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.
Profile Image for Elizabeth M. .
58 reviews14 followers
August 5, 2007
Where do you want/need to go? Do you have a plan to get there?If not, or ifyour lack of planning has always been a source of anxiety for you, may I suggest you pick up Marshall Goldsmith’s newest book, "What Got You Here Won’t Get You There?"? The book contains 20 habits that hold you back (from getting “there”, remember?) as well as a plethora of other bejewelled nuggets such as how you can change for the better. Here are some of my biggest takeaways which relate to everyone, not just the corporate leaders in our midst:

1) Habit #3 that holds you back: Passing Judgments. Just don’t do it. We discuss this concept at length in Uncommon Confidence. Basically, Marshall and I are advising the same thing: don’t inflict your world view on anyone except yourself. As each of us are unique, authentic beings. What works for us may not necessarily work for someone else. Judging others, Marshall tells us, pushes people away and limits our opportunities for success.

2) Habit #5 that holds you back: Starting with “No”, “But” or “However”. When we start sentences with these qualifiers, we are negating what the other person is saying. Let’s not do that. It seems obviously but here again, when we negate someone else’s worldview, we are pushing them away. We are also sending the message that we are more important than they are. We are also telling them that they are wrong. Ouch. That’s not the way to build a strong support team, now is it?

3) Changing for the better: Using active listening. When listening to someone, focus on them and add one more thing to the equation. Weigh your comment with Marshall’s indispensable sage advice, ask yourself “Is it worth it?” before you add your two pennies to the conversation. Asking yourself this will force you to focus on how the other person will feel after your comment. “Is it worth it?” will also show the other person who you are and that you care about them.

4) Changing for the better: Practicing gratitude. I have a gratitude journal and write in it daily. I feel like I do pretty well with the gratitude thing but Marshall, bless him, gave me a really good idea in this area which is so important to me. Marshall says “thank you” at the end of each phone call instead of goodbye. I love this! This is a fabulous way to show your respect for the person on the other end of the phone. It also sends a message to that person that you appreciate his or her words. You almost cannot overdue gratitude. Think about it: how many times are you sincerely thanked in one day? Not that many I would guess. Gratitude is a gift. Give and take it with grace and sincerity.

You Can’t Get There From Here, while marketed as a business/success book, offers so many riches to the average person. Interestingly what might hold the corporate executive back from getting to her place of desire is exactly what will hold you back. Perhaps every habit doesn’t apply to you (I hope not) but some will. As always, take what you want, what applies to you and leave the rest.

What is holding you back from getting There?
Profile Image for Katherine.
40 reviews2 followers
December 21, 2021
I take issue with the fact that this book is unnecessarily focused on men when we live in a time when leadership can come from either gender. The vast majority of examples are of men as CEOs, leaders, and executives, with a very small minority of female leaders. Most female examples in the book are of assistants, wives, or "moms who want it all".

I couldn't help but feel more and more alienated with each example. I get that this book came from the author's experience with his clients in the 1980s and 2000s, and at that time, women made up less than 2.4% of CEOs at Fortune 500 companies... I just wish that in novels we could escape the past and think ahead to the future where a female executive is not an anomaly but normal.

Phrases like, "females swooned around him" (p. 182), "dining with the most beautiful women" (p. 153), "a female neighbor wearing a stunning dress" p. 89, and "a heroically skimpy outfit" (p. 65) just have no place in a book about work and leadership. Often the author only mentioned female leaders with the added context of having a husband and kids (p. 100, 204). And the third, fourth, and fifth woman referred to by name (p. 64, 66, and 76) were about a revealing outfit, a woman who was fired, and a woman involved in a sex scandal, respectively.

I wanted to cry when I read about the example of "Beth" on page 85 who experienced blatant sexism at work and was asked to apologize to the man who was disrespecting her. I wanted to laugh when the author brought up "refusing to hire a young married woman because he believes she will leave her job eventually to have babies" as if it was a long-retired prejudice rather than something I and many others experienced at the time this book was published in 2009. I distinctly recall a conversation around this year with someone whose father was looking for an employee who said to me, "He would hire you as long as you promise not to leave and have babies. That's what the last woman he hired did."

I'm sorry - this just isn't it for me. This book should be redone or retired.
Profile Image for Emma Sea.
2,214 reviews1,214 followers
Read
May 31, 2016
Actual advice in this book:

"Treat every day as if it were a press conference during which your colleagues are judging you, waiting to see you trip up." (p. 146)
Profile Image for Douglas Meyer.
88 reviews7 followers
August 3, 2024
This is one of the most influential/personally impactful books I have ever read. This is likely because it was the right message at the right time in my life and career. While I cannot promise it will have the same impact on you—nor know if this is the season in your life and journey where you need it—I can confidently say that you will finish it a better person, leader, coach, and friend. You will walk away with practical and tactical steps to be a better person. The title made me think it would be another book about the differences between direct-level leadership and the organizational level. Instead I got a gut-punch of reality.

Goldsmith provides practical lessons on what stops highly successful leaders from being truly exceptional. What stops them from making the next step? In his 20 Habits that hold us back from the top, Goldsmith outlines examples of shortfalls and a path to fixing them. These examples are rich with the very same 360 degree feedback so many probably receive—especially those in the Army who use the MSAF360 feedback form. Goldsmith draws on his career in performance and leadership coaching, having worked with highly successful leaders and executives. As the William Shakespeare quote in the front of the book from Much Ado About Nothing says, "Happy are they that can hear their detractions and put them to mending."
Profile Image for محمد حمزة.
350 reviews133 followers
September 15, 2018
قرأت الكتاب بنسخته العربية وإلى جانبي النسخة الأصلية أيضا..

الترجمة جيدة..

لا تلوموا الترجمة دوما يا أصدقائي، فالأفكار العادية مهما تفننت في ترجمتها فلن تحصل على شيء جيّد..

الكتاب ليس سيئا جدا.. لكن أقولها ومن الآخر.. هو يوجه نصائح في تزكية النفس وحسن الخُلق للمديرين ليس أكثر..

عن الصدق.. والتواضع.. والاعتراف بالأخطاء.. وعدم تصغير الآخرين..

كلها من المسلّمات لدينا، فهي ليست فتحا مبينا.. إنما يجب تطبيقها..

1439
Profile Image for Jess.
3,532 reviews5 followers
December 20, 2018
I'm not really sure how to rate this book, since I wasn't really reading it of my own volition, but for work. One thing that consistently bugged me, though, was how often it felt like the author wanted to name drop but couldn't for various reasons. It also made me think a lot about impostor syndrome, because something none of the people he referenced in the book seemed to suffer from was doubt, and that is something I definitely suffer from.

The stuff about feedback and apologies and gratitude and just generally inventorying your own behavior was good, though not revolutionary? I don't know. Like I said, not really reading it for my own purposes.
Profile Image for TabbyCat.
18 reviews1 follower
January 25, 2018
Horrible book unless someone is completely unaware of their impact on others in the workplace. Do not read it.
Profile Image for Nadja Nastez.
91 reviews
May 16, 2023
Книга која навистина си ги заслужи 5те ѕвездички, и ништо помалку од тоа не би ѝ дала.🌟

Многу јасен, разбирлив и читлив стил на пишување. Реткост е на книга од овој тип да ми се допадне толку стилот на пишување, покрај сите поучни нешта што ги има во неа. Навистина браво!

20 клучни карактеристики кои треба да ги промените доколку сакате да бидете поуспешни и од најуспешните. Книга која преку јасни примери во, но и надвор од бизнисот, ќе ви разјасни дека доколку сакате да го остварите својот максимален потенцијал, треба да тргнете од поправање на своите лични и карактерни недостатоци!

Мнооооооогу голем впечаток ми остави и навистина ги голтав страниците до самиот крај. Топла препорака за оние кои сакаат да се подобруваат на секое поле! 💙
Profile Image for Robert Chapman.
501 reviews53 followers
September 14, 2012
This was the first book I have read written by Marshall Goldsmith, and it most certainly will not be the last. From its title one could think that this is one of those fluffy motivational “change yourself overnight” books. In reality it is anything but that, it’s a grounded and well written book that focuses on the problems which come from moving up the leadership ladder while still retaining old habits.

As the title indicates, the very qualities that get people promoted and make them successful can often be the ones that cause them trouble in their new positions and responsibilities. The biggest impact senior leaders can often make in their ongoing career success comes in the form of behavioural changes.

The author describes numerous examples of behaviour which can have destructive consequences at the senior leadership level and how to correct them. Just one example is being over competitive, sure it can make a person very successful as they climb the ladder, but once in higher positions it can have adverse effects.

I’ve used the terms senior and higher positions, but anyone who is changing roles through promotion can benefit from this book. I challenge anyone who has been through a transition in the last few years to read this book and not say to themselves at least once “yeah I recall doing that”.

Since reading this book I have picked up another book written by the author, Mojo, and I’m looking forward to diving into it.
387 reviews15 followers
September 26, 2011
A more accurate subtitle might be ”Just Be Nice”. Apparently getting to the corner office on the top floor just requires much of what your kindergarten teacher tried to impart on you: listen to people, say ”please” and ”thank you” and always use your inside voice. Goldsmith and Reiter claim these principles are gleamed from hundreds of coaching sessions with CEO’s and their direct reports. Where are these magical companies where nice guys finish first and what do they manufacture? Sunbeams? Rainbows? In truth many executives are tall on height but short on people skills and to some limited degree the Goldsmith/Reiter politeness prescription would definitely help. However, generally those with the sharpest elbow and loosest scruples (e.g., ”Chainsaw” Al Dunlap) have the advantage against similarly savvy executives.

In short Goldsmith can help you once you are there but can’t help you get there.

Profile Image for Simon Eskildsen.
215 reviews1,140 followers
October 21, 2018
This book joins High Output Management as most influential management books I've read. What a gem with 10s of incredibly practical ideas that I'm eager to start incorporating. Without a doubt will enter my re-read list.
Profile Image for فادي.
646 reviews736 followers
January 21, 2019
جميل ومباشر
فيه فصل يتحدث عن الخطايا العشرين.. أنصح به
وتعليماته سهلة لكن الالتزام بها شاق
وأعجبني أيضا قوله إن التغيير المنشود إذا تحقق فإنه يحتاج لمدة بين ١٢-١٨ شهر وليس بلمح البصر كما يروج بعض الناس.
وأنه هناك حالات مستعصية على التغيير لا تضيع وقتك في إصلاحها.
Profile Image for Tamara Minawi.
116 reviews6 followers
July 12, 2016

كثيراً ما نخدع أنفسنا فيما يتعلق بإنجازاتنا ودورنا في العمل حين ننحو إلى المبالغة في تقدير إسهاماتنا في أي مشروع. ننسب الفضل جزئياً أو كلياً لأنفسنا في نجاحات ترجع في الحقيقة إلى غيرنا. نمتلك تقديراً عالياً لمهاراتنا المهنية ووضعنا بين زملائنا. وبكل بساطة ودون تردد نتجاهل أخطاءنا الواضحة والطرق المسدودة التي أهدرنا كثيراً من وقتنا في السير فيها. حتى إننا نبالغ في تقدير أرباح مشروعاتنا لأننا نخصم منها التكاليف الحقيقية والخفية والكامنة فيها، ونعتبر التكاليف مشكلة شخص آخر، أما النجاح فينسب لنا. هذه الأوهام وغيرها تكون نتيجة مباشرة للنجاح وليس الفشل. يحدث هذا لأننا نكون مواقفنا الذهنية ونستقي التشجيع والحماس من نجاحاتنا السابقة، وبقفزة عقلية يسهل علينا تبريرها نعتبر نجاح الماضي سببا للتكهن بنجاح المستقبل.

فى هذا الكتاب "ما أوصلك إلى هنا لن يوصلك إلى هناك" يوجه "مارشال جولدسميث"أنظارنا الى العادات السيئة تقف حجر عثرة أمام مهن وتجارب تعتبر ناجحة بالفعل ، وأيضاً أمام أهداف شخصية كالزيجات الناجحة أو تربية الأطفال بشكل جيد ، معظم تلك الأخطاء يقع فى نطاق المشكلات السلوكية ..الموضوع من خلال أربعة أقسام القسم الأول في مشكلة النجاح وفيه ثلاثة فصول، القسم الثاني في العادات العشرون التي تعيق اعتلاءك القمة وفيه فصلان، القسم الثالث في كيف يمكننا أن نتغير إلى الأفضل وفيه سبعة فصول، القسم الرابع في تجنب المآزق وفيه ثلاثة فصول.
تتميز النصائح والتوجيهات التي يوردها المؤلف في كتابه بالبساطة والصدق والعمق . فهو ينصح مثلا بسؤال الرأي الصريح للزملاء ، ثم تحديد السلوكيات التي يجب تعديلها ( ونشدد هنا على أنها السلوكيات وليست المهارات أو المعارف ) ثم الاعتذار عنها ، والابتعاد عنها مستقبلا من أجل تحسين مستمر وقمة أعلى على سلم النجاح الإداري والوظيفي.
http://mybook4u.com/%D8%A3%D9%84%D8%A...
Profile Image for Annie.
1,028 reviews856 followers
February 27, 2022
The book lists 21 bad behaviors that can trail an executive's career. The list is not an earth-shattering revelation, such as adding your two cents to every conversation, overusing "no", "but", and "however", not praising others, and deflecting blame for any wrongdoing. I think the author is probably a good consultant but not a good writer. He uses many sports analogies, which are sometimes poorly applied. For example, comparing the gripping of a golf club to listening - I think he was trying to explain how before taking action, you have to pay attention to the nuances... it was just confusing. Also, this book doesn't work well as a "how to" book. The examples are based on his consulting jobs where a 360 evaluation was done for the executive. It's easy for others to see your flaws (such as making sarcastic or negative remarks). They are the victims of your bad behaviors and feel the effects. Also, many people think and act differently from you. One or two individuals may find your behavior normal, while seven or eight find it annoying. This book is good if you're already considering fixing some of your bad habits. There are tips on how to get feedback from people and stay motivated to improve. If you're stalled in your career and can't figure why, this book won't answer that question.
Profile Image for L.
576 reviews43 followers
August 4, 2016
While this is a short book, it has very practical tips to not only improve your sales but your relationship skills as well. It focuses on the 16 habits that you should give up which the book argues would be easier than implementing new skills.

1. Failure to be present
2. Use of vocal fillers
3. Selling past the close
4. Selective hearing
5. Contact without purpose
6. Curb qualifying
7. Using tension as a tool
8. One-upping
9. Overfamiliarity
10. Withholding passion and energy
11. Explaining failure
12. Never having to say you are sorry
13. Throwing others under the bus
14. Propagandizing
15. Wasting energy
16. Obsessing over the numbers

Each of the habit comes with a realistic narrative to demonstrate the impacts of each habit which I found to be very useful. It also includes a handful of interviews with high level sales executives. Then it closes with a process for improving your awareness and implementing these changes with the help of coach/stakeholder.

Absolutely wonderful and practical book!
Profile Image for Marga.
105 reviews2 followers
September 2, 2017
I disliked this book quite a lot. I'm clearly not its target, to a point that it alienated me and I resented it. The target of the book is very ambitious men (and probably even cis white men), that have reached VP or above levels at their companies. The advice that it gives is completely out of place for someone that is a normal employee or even a middle-manager. Let alone women. The person that the book is talking about is always a "he" and act like an alpha male.

Not for me.

But if you are a cis white man in a VP or above position, it might have some useful advice for you.
Profile Image for Amy.
245 reviews1 follower
August 2, 2018
I couldn't finish it, this is the first time in over 20 years I walked away from a book
Halfway in I could no longer take the self promoting writing style and the suggestion to adopt a personality of superficial responses. I was hoping the book would be a bit more insightful. Perhaps I was not in the "right emotional place to read it
Profile Image for Jaideep Khanduja.
Author 3 books156 followers
November 22, 2015
http://itknowledgeexchange.techtarget...

20 Great Lessons For Project Managers From Marshall Goldsmith

What Got You Here Won’t Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful by Marshall Goldsmith is a fantastic collection of 256 pages and is a bouquet of learning for Project Managers across the globe. The title itself says a lot. You cannot win each battle with the same strategy. Every battle has to be brainstormed so as to formulate a suitable strategy. Each project is a battle for a project manager. An off-shore project would require a different kind of strategy as compared to an in-shore project. A CRM project would be a different ball-game in comparison to a project related to ERP.

This wonderful book has multiple magical gems that can transform your life from a project manager to empowered project manager. There is a fantastic learning in whatever Marshall Goldsmith is trying to convey in What Got You Here Won’t Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful. It is simple to understand but slightly difficult to absorb and more difficult to adhere to. By the time you are able to adhere to these points, you are a totally transformed project manager who will look at everything with a different perspective. Marshall calls these gems as self-defeating factors which stop you from reaching next level in your profession while you have all those capabilities that are required to reach there. Why I call them gems is because these are the critical points to understand. And any learning that helps in delivering your best and is applicable everywhere in your life, throughout, is a gem.

Here are the 20 gems:

1. We emphasize more on learning how to DO things and forget to apply our learning on HOW, WHEN and WHERE to STOP. Once we are able to learn the STOP factor, it becomes easier to drive on a road that is not as smooth as a super-highway. And we all know, no project runs smooth. Ability to harness accelerator, clutch and gears in sync is what is required in life.

2. We try our best to win at any cost under any situations and due to that forget to keep the focus on delivering the best. As per Marshall, it is not important to win in all situations. That learning is very crucial.

3. We focus more on self-importance and thus try to participate in everything that matters (or even does not matter). We tend to add too much value to everything even where it is not at all required. For every discussing being held, it is not important to add your point of view.

4. We tend to be judgemental all the times. Rating others are not our job and on top of it telling others to follow you and do the things in the way you want is really absurd.

5. We feel that real smartness is in being sarcastic while making comments which are not true. And then it becomes our habit to be like that at all places.

6. We tend to overuse words like – But, However, No etc. that silently but clearly declares that we are living in a world of our own with a feeling that everyone else except us is wrong.

7. We always tend to estimate how smart others think we are and how to project ourselves more than that to them. In this unending chase, the real momentum of the game is lost and things start moving in a wrong direction.

8. The balancing act is lost when you are angry. Getting angry is not wrong but getting out-of-control at that moment of time is wrong. When you speak, ensure not to use to appear angry as a tactics. And when you are really angry, don’t speak for a while till you cool down.

9. Even when someone else is accountable for a job that is not done, we tend to explain why it did not work.

10. Keeping information to self by thinking that sharing information will reveal you as a weak person or will take control out of your hands. Sharing information appears to us as giving an advantage to other which we tend to hold all the time.

11. Blaming situations (present or past) and people from the past for failures with a clear-cut intention of trying to keep yourself clean.

12. Intentionally or unintentionally staying away from recognizing others for their achievements.

13. Clinging to the past is not a good habit. One of my ex-boss used to tell me that to survive in a corporate world, one has to keep delivering something visible and in its best, every day. You just can’t sit on your laurels. The job that is done well is the past, think of the next best deliverables to go in a best possible way.

14) Playing favorites is another bad game that we play. At times, we might be doing it unintentionally or we are being driven by someone else to do it. In both the cases, it is wrong at our end. We need to realize it beforehand and then simply stay away from it.

15) We tend to refuse to express regret at the time it is required. In fact, we try to avoid it all the time and forever.

16) Not listening is not only a disrespect to others but also can be treated as a breach of trust that others are doing on you while talking to you. When someone is talking to us, we need to give our full intention. I have seen people intentionally expressing their urgency in some important email or some emergency phone call.


17) We fail to regret when it is out turn and also fail to express gratitude to others where it deserves.

18) A person who comes to us with a negative news generally becomes the victim of our harsh behavior even if he is just a messenger and has no fault in the negative that has happened.

19) Passing the buck in case something wrong has happened rather than owning it.

20) We give unnecessary importance to ourselves to a very high extent which is useless.
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