What Got You Here Won’t Get

You There by Marshall

Goldsmith
summarized by  J A M E S CLEAR

The Book in Three Sentences

Behavioral problems, not technical skills, are what separate the

great from the near great. Incredible results can come from
practicing basic behaviors like saying thank you, listening well,
thinking before you speak, and apologizing for your mistakes. The
first step to change is wanting to change.

What Got You Here Won't Get You There

summary

This is my book summary of What Got You Here Won't Get You
There by Marshall Goldsmith. My notes are informal and often
contain quotes from the book as well as my own thoughts. This
summary also includes key lessons and important passages from the
book.

 The higher you go in an organization, the more your

suggestions become interpreted as orders.
 Getting praise can be dangerous because it becomes easy to
delude yourself when all you hear are positive things.

 Delusional self-confidence causes you to resist change.

 You can't control the outcome, but why wouldn't you want to
try to control what you can? Even if the cards are stacked against
you in life your best bet is to try your hardest.

 Successful people believe they are in control. They don't see

themselves as victims of the world.

 Lottery ticket players: serious lottery players think success is

random. Successful people think success is within their control and
thus don't play the lottery. Both mindsets are delusional in their own
way, but the successful approach seems to work better overall.

 People will only do something and change when it is in their

own best interest and aligns with our values.

 The four drivers of self-interest: money, power, status,

popularity.

 Smart people know what to do. They need to know what to

stop.

 Create a To-Stop list rather than a To-Do list.

 Not all behavior is good or bad. Some behaviors are simply

neutral.
 The fallacy of adding too much value is that by adding value
you kill the ownership of other peoples ideas. When you add to the
idea it no longer feels like it is their idea.

 When getting feedback of any type, positive or negative,

accept it from a neutral place and say, “Thank you.” If you don't
reply with a judgmental comment, you can't get into an argument.

 The question to ask yourself when making a destructive or

critical comment about someone is not, “Is it true?” But, “Is it
worth it?”

 Don't tell people how smart you are. Nobody gives a damn.

 Withholding information is a problem for me when I don't

communicate well. If you don't communicate what is going on it
feels like you're keeping people in the dark. That annoys people.

 Create a list of people you should give recognition to and then

review that list each week to see if you should send someone praise.

 Give away ALL the credit.

 Clinging to the past: “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… When we make
excuses, we are blaming someone or something beyond our control
as the reason for our failure. Anyone but ourselves.” When we talk
 about the past it is NOT about change. It is about understanding.
And often about blaming others.

 Just say “Thank You” to more comments rather than making a

bigger fuss about things. We often have issues with accepting
compliments.

 Hearing people out does not make you dumber. So listen and
say thank you.

 Gratitude is not a limited resource. Express your thanks more

often.

 People who think they can do no wrong usually can't admit

they are ever wrong. Which, paradoxically, makes you more wrong.
Owning up to your mistakes is essential.

 Your personality is not fixed and improvement does not

require you to become a radically different person. You don't have
to change your whole life, just improve one tiny trait.

 Goal obsession is the blindness of goal pursuit at the expense

of more important things.

 You should feel no shame if your pursuit of a difficult goal

fails.

 Goal obsession is not a flaw, it is a creator of flaws.

 Princeton theology students research study and the story of the

Good Samaritan. Goal obessions: we are so focus on shortsighted
goals and the task in front of us that we miss the bigger point. Use
 this as a jumping off point for talking about goals in life. Is working
really the point?

 Main lesson: you can do a lot worse than questioning your

flaws. We often get so defensive about these things, but what do we
really have to lose? Usually, very little.

 Forgiveness means letting go of the hope for a better past.

 The higher you go the more your problems are behavioral.

Interpersonal behavior is the difference between being great and
near great.

 Knowing the answer to, “How do you feel about me?” does
not matter when it comes to getting better. What matters is, “How
can I get better?”

 Apologize, apologize, apologize. Just step up and make the

apologies you need to make.

 When you make an apology say, “I'm sorry. I'll try to do

better.” And then shut up. Don't try to justify it.

 Frances Hesselbein, CEO of the Girl Scouts. Claimed to be

greatest executive by Peter Drucker.

 When you listen to someone make them feel like they are the
only person in the room. Devote your attention to them.

 We can't change for the long-run without following up.

Follow up shows your colleagues that you care about getting better
and that you're taking the process seriously.
Leadership is all about Initiative Smile at others

The healthy man does not torture others -

generally it is the tortured who turn into torturers.
Carl Jung

“Never argue with an idiot. They will drag you down to their level and beat you with
experience.”

― Mark Twain

बैठ जाता हूँ मिट्टी पे अक्सर

– हरिवंशराय बच्चन
बैठ जाता हूँ मिट्टी पे अक्सर ।
क्योंकि मुझे अपनी औकात अच्छी लगती है  ।।
मैंने समंदर से सीखा है जीने का सलीक़ा।
चुपचाप से बहना और अपनी मौज में रहना ।।
ऐसा नहीं है कि मुझमें कोई ऐब नहीं है ।
पर सच कहता हूँ मुझमे कोई फरे ब नहीं है ।।
जल जाते हैं मेरे अंदाज़ से मेरे दश्ु मन क्योंकि!
एक मद्द
ु त से मैंने न मोहब्बत बदली और न दोस्त बदले ।।

एक घड़ी ख़रीदकर हाथ मे क्या बाँध ली।

वक़्त पीछे ही पड़ गया मेरे ।।
सोचा था घर बना कर बैठूँगा सुकून से,
पर घर की ज़रूरतों ने मुसाफ़िर बना डाला ।।
सुकून की बात मत कर ऐ ग़ालिब।
बचपन वाला ‘इतवार’ अब नहीं आता ।।
शौक तो माँ-बाप के पैसों से परू े होते हैं।
अपने पैसों से तो बस ज़रूरतें ही परू ी हो पाती हैं ।।
जीवन की भाग-दौड़ में ।
क्यूँ वक़्त के साथ रं गत खो जाती है ?
हँसती-खेलती ज़िन्दगी भी आम हो जाती है ।।
एक सवेरा था जब हँस कर उठते थे हम,
और;
आज कई बार बिना मुस्कुराये ही शाम हो जाती है ।
कितने दरू निकल गए,
रिश्तों को निभाते निभाते,
खुद को खो दिया हमने,
अपनों को पाते पाते ।।

लोग कहते है हम मुस्कुराते बहुत हैं।

और हम थक गए दर्द छुपाते छुपाते ।।
खुश हूँ और सबको खुश रखता हूँ।
लापरवाह हूँ फिर भी सबकी परवाह करता हूँ ।
मालम
ू है कोई मोल नहीं मेरा,
फिर भी,
कुछ अनमोल लोगों से
रिश्ता रखता हूँ ।

“If you want one year of prosperity, grow grain. If you want
ten years of prosperity, grow trees. If you want one hundred
years of prosperity, grow people.”

– Chinese Proverb

This Chinese Proverb is a great quote related to business leaders. 

Ideas, Inspiration and instrospection

Right Mindset ( can acquire the skill set)

Time. Time Time ( give time for the efforts)

Persistent efforts ( Rope cuts the stone )

Learn to do yourself.

God helps those who help themselves.

Story of a man stuck in flood praying God. Three people a carocle, boat and
helicopter try to save but he believes in God. God says I came in three
forms, what were you waiting for?

Take Charge and Succeed

Human Behaviour Experiment

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZDLbbfT9_Q