What Got You Here Won't Get You There

“What Got You Here Won’t Get You There” by Marshall Goldsmith is an interesting book about how changing even little behaviors or habits can make all the difference in becoming an even more successful person. The book is written specifically to those who have already been successful in life and who are seeking to be even better. The book offers many insightful strategies that can help just about anyone become a more successful leader and person. Let me share a few…

Seek Bad News

The whole premise of Goldsmith’s book is based on the importance of obtaining feedback. Without feedback from others, we can never improve. The book highlights who and how to obtain feedback, and it argues if we aren’t continually seeking feedback, then we aren’t trying to get better. Contrary to human nature, leaders who want to improve, seek bad news about themselves so that they know what to change. And according to Goldsmith, “you are better off finding out the truth than being in denial.”

Apologize, Advertise, and Follow-up

Once feedback is received, the critical formula to being better is to apologize, advertise, and follow-up. First, apologizing for your poor performance allows you to build trust and respect from those you lead. Indeed, the power of apologizing is one of the most important lessons expounded upon in this book. Next, advertise to others you are going to do all you can to make improvements and encourage them to help you. Without sharing and advertising that you are trying, most people won’t notice. Therefore, helping others to see your efforts and progress and inviting them to help you improve, gives you the opportunity to show your efforts and prove you are sincere and committed to personal improvement. Finally, “follow-up” by seeking feedback again to see if others have detected the changes you have made. Without measuring your progress, you will never know for sure if improvements have been made. Following this simple pattern will help us to become better leaders not only in our own eyes, but also in the eyes of those we lead.

Simply Say Thank-you

The best way to respond to any feedback of any kind from anyone is “thank-you.” Any other response will discourage feedback, and it will reveal we are defensive. As soon as we respond defensively to feedback, the likelihood of getting honest feedback is greatly diminished. Thus, a simple thank-you proves we treat any form of feedback as a helpful gift (as we should). And those who truly want to improve need continual feedback. Thus all we need to express to any feedback we hear is plain gratitude.

Did I Try?

Finally, towards the end of the book, the author argues that a key to happiness and success in life is not actually accomplishing one’s dreams, but instead simply trying to accomplish one’s dreams. If we are not continually striving to be better and if we are not continually striving to reach our dreams, then what are we doing?! Surely without trying, life cannot be rich and fulfilling! Thus let’s honestly ask ourselves, are we trying?

“What Got You Hear Won’t Get You There” is a very good book on self-improvement. If we seek feedback, pursue the pattern of apologize, advertise, and follow-up, if we respond to feedback with gratitude, and if we sincerely put forth our best effort to accomplish our dreams, then we can only become more successful in life.

See how I ranked this book