Sunday, February 28, 2010

"What Got You Here Won't Get You There" by Marshall Goldsmith

There is so much value in this book, I have to read it again. Many of the concepts seem so straight forward and common sense, yet I can think of so many instances where these things are forgotten. I just had to share some of the nuggets:


20 Most Common Faults in Interpersonal Leadership Behavior


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 attach 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.

I'm reading: "What Got You Here Won't Get You There" by Marshall GoldsmithTweet this!

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