Book Review- What Got You Here Won't Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful by Marshal Goldsmith

I read What Got You Here Won't Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful by Marshal Goldsmith. 

First off, this book is a fantastic read. It is engaging and funny, making it one of the best reads in the career self help category I have encountered. The book's first half is about the ways that successful people get it wrong, and limit themselves in the process. It is a delightful read of the top 20 issues and a game of spot yourself. For example, I get busy and am bad at sharing information. Check! That is me. Giving this list a read every 5 years or so is good advice.

The book avoids psych babble, but I like that stuff. Essentially, the book is about survivor bias. I did good, I survived, therefore I must have done something right. Others did not, therefore they must have done something wrong. I am consistent in my success, therefore there must be something unique about me and how I operate. Suddenly, without meaning to, we have become a jerk and the fear of change is as grand as a lack of survival. The part of me that doesn't share information particularly well is also part of the success package isn't it? If I get rid of that, will I still be a success?

The second half of the book is how to solve the problems you identify and how to avoid the pitfalls the author had to stumble through the hard way. This section is not as fun, but it far more practically useful. I would recommend reading this section every 2 years. For those of you who aren't out for a big read at the moment, the answer to all that survival bias and those 20 bad behaviors fit into 7 key practices.

Learn to:

1. Get feedback regularly

2. Apologize to move past your flaws

3. Recruit your peers and advertise your change

4. Listen, don't respond or judge

5. Thank people

6. Follow up on your changes

7. Gather feedback for the future