More on “What Got You Here Won’t Get You There”

By Dan Nielsen

May 24, 2011


We are in a study of Marshall Goldsmith’s excellent book, What Got You Here Won’t Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful.

Goldsmith is exactly right when he writes, “In an arc of what can be a long and successful career, you will always be in transit from here to there.” 

The statement above summarizes why this book, and this reality for each and every one of us, is so critically important.  You will always, for the rest of your career and for the rest of your life, be in transit from here to there!  Always!

‘Here’ can be a great place, with significant personal, professional and organizational success.  But ‘here’ is probably also a place where you have consciously or unconsciously created and internalized habits and behaviors that will make it more difficult, if not impossible to get to a better place… the place you want to go next… which is ‘there.’

Goldsmith writes that these problems or obstacles are:

“Not life-threatening diseases.  They’re not deep-seated neuroses that require years of therapy or tons of medication to erase.  More often than not, they are simple behavioral tics – bad habits that we repeat dozens of times a day in the workplace – which can be cured by (a) pointing them out, (b) showing the havoc they cause among the people surrounding us, and (c) demonstrating that with a slight behavioral tweak we can achieve a much more appealing effect.”

Any healthcare leader, and any person, regardless of current level or title can benefit tremendously from this book!  Goldsmith puts it so well when he writes:

  • “Look at your own personal map.  Trace the distance between your vision of here and there.
  • You are here.
  • You can get there.
  • But you have to understand that what got you here won’t get you there.”

Marshall Goldsmith is one of the leading senior executive coaches in the world.  Many would say is THE leading executive coach in the world.  His clients include many of the Fortune 50 largest companies in the world.  You would be wise to carefully and consistently read and learn from him!

More on What Got You Here Won’t Get You There next week.  Buy the book or find your copy.  Join the journey!

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About the author

Dan Nielsen is the author of the books Be An Inspirational Leader: Engage, Inspire, Empower, and Presidential Leadership: Learning from United States Presidential Libraries & Museums. He regularly writes and speaks on leadership excellence and achieving greater success, and is available to deliver keynotes, lead workshops, or facilitate discussions for your group. LEARN MORE

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