One Sentence Summary:
This book, written by executive coach Marshall Goldsmith, delves into the common behaviors and habits that successful people exhibit, and how they may hold them back from further growth and success.
Book Genre:
Self-help, Business.
Main Topic of the Book:
The book focuses on the concept of self-limiting behaviors and how they can hinder success, and provides practical techniques for self-reflection and improvement.
Key Ideas:
- Successful individuals often possess certain behaviors and habits that have helped them reach their current level of success.
- However, some of these very same behaviors may hinder them from further growth and reaching even higher levels of success.
- Self-limiting behaviors such as always winning, adding too much value, and not listening can negatively impact relationships and hinder professional growth.
- Through self-awareness and practicing new behaviors, individuals can break through their self-limiting habits and achieve even greater success.
Main Parts of the Book:
- Introduction: Goldsmith sets the stage for the book by describing how successful people often get stuck in their ways and how it can prevent them from achieving even greater success.
- The 20 Habits That Hold You Back from the Top: This section identifies the twenty most common self-limiting behaviors that successful people exhibit, such as not apologizing, speaking when angry, or making excuses.
- The 21st Habit: Goldsmith introduces the 21st habit as a key to breaking free from the other self-limiting behaviors. This habit is all about continuous improvement and always striving for personal growth.
- Using Feedback to Identify and Change Bad Habits: The author emphasizes the importance of seeking and accepting feedback from others to identify and change self-limiting behaviors.
- How to Listen, Learn, and Follow Up: Goldsmith shares tools and techniques for actively listening and following up on feedback to improve relationships and enhance personal growth.
- Why a Plan to Change Is Not Enough: The book acknowledges that change is challenging and provides practical strategies for overcoming resistance to change.
- The Power of Feedforward: This section introduces the concept of feedforward, a positive and proactive approach to requesting feedback and making changes.
- Using Peer Coaching to Accelerate Change: In this section, Goldsmith shares how involving others in the change process can support and speed up personal growth.
- Four Case Studies: The book concludes with four real-life case studies of individuals who have successfully identified and changed their self-limiting behaviors, resulting in significant improvements in their personal and professional lives.
Key Takeaways:
- Success can create blind spots, and what got you to your current level of success may not work for further growth.
- Self-limiting behaviors can hold you back from achieving even greater success and hinder relationships.
- Self-awareness and actively seeking and accepting feedback are key to identifying and changing self-limiting behaviors.
- Using a positive and proactive approach such as feedforward can be more effective in promoting change than focusing on past mistakes.
- Involving others in the change process can provide support and accelerate personal growth.
Author’s Background and Qualifications:
Marshall Goldsmith is a renowned executive coach and business educator, recognized as the world’s leading authority on leadership and coaching. He has authored or co-authored over 35 books, including “What Got You Here Won’t Get You There,” “Triggers,” and “Mojo.” He is a recipient of the Thinkers50 Leadership Award, voted by his peers as the most influential leadership thinker in the world.
Target Audience:
Executives, managers, and professionals who have achieved a certain level of success in their careers and are looking for ways to continue their growth and success.
Publisher and First Publication Date:
The book was originally published in 2007 by Hyperion, and a revised and updated edition was published in 2019 by Hachette Books.