REVIEW BUKU #29: What Got You Here Won’t Get You There

Title: What Got You Here Won’t Get You There

Author: Marshall Goldsmith

Introduction

Many people assume that success is the final destination. Once someone reaches the top—becoming a leader, executive, or expert—they believe the hardest part is over. However, What Got You Here Won’t Get You There challenges this comforting illusion. Marshall Goldsmith delivers a powerful reminder: the very habits that helped you succeed can become the biggest obstacles to your next level of growth.

Marshall Goldsmith is one of the world’s most respected executive coaches. He has worked directly with more than eighty CEOs of leading global companies and is widely recognized for his contribution to leadership development. The American Management Association named him one of the fifty greatest thinkers and most influential leaders in the history of business leadership development.

This book is not about how to become successful from zero. Instead, it is about how successful people often fail to grow further—and what they must change to keep evolving.

What Is This Book About?

At its core, this book explores a paradox of success: achievement can quietly turn into a trap. Skills, behaviors, and mindsets that once brought recognition may later create blind spots, arrogance, or resistance to feedback.

In the opening chapters, Goldsmith shares stories from his coaching experiences with top executives. Through vivid case studies, readers are invited into real-world leadership challenges—boardrooms, executive teams, and high-stakes environments where small behavioral flaws can have massive consequences.

Goldsmith introduces an analogy of professional golfers: no matter how skilled they are, they constantly strive to improve every swing. Past excellence does not eliminate the need for continuous refinement. Similarly, leaders must view growth as an ongoing process rather than a finished achievement.

The book’s primary goal is clear: help readers become better tomorrow than they are today, especially when success has already been achieved.

Overall Structure of the Book

The book is organized into four major sections, each addressing a critical dimension of personal and professional growth:

1. The Trouble with Success

2. Twenty Habits That Hold You Back from the Top

3. How to Change for the Better

4. Putting the Stop Signs in Place

This structure takes readers on a journey from awareness, to diagnosis, to action, and finally to discipline.

Part 1: The Trouble with Success

In this section, Goldsmith boldly states that success itself can become a problem. While success feels rewarding, it often reinforces behaviors that are no longer effective at higher levels of leadership.

Several key issues are explored:

Excessive Self-Focus

Successful people often talk too much about themselves. While confidence is valuable, excessive self-reference can alienate others and weaken collaboration.

The Illusion of Being Right

High achievers frequently believe their past success proves they are always correct. This mindset reduces openness to new ideas and feedback.

Success Fantasies

Goldsmith warns against assuming future success will automatically follow past achievements. Without intentional growth, progress stalls.

This section sets the foundation: what made you successful is not guaranteed to keep working forever.

Part 2: Twenty Habits That Hold You Back from the Top

This is the most well-known and impactful section of the book. Goldsmith identifies twenty common behavioral habits that frequently derail successful professionals.

Some notable examples include:

• Winning Too Much – Needing to win every argument, even when it damages relationships.

• Adding Too Much Value – Over-commenting or correcting others unnecessarily.

• Passing Judgment – Constantly evaluating and criticizing rather than understanding.

• Destructive Comments – Sarcasm or negativity disguised as honesty.

• Letting People Know How Smart You Are – Subtly reminding others of your intelligence or experience.

These habits are often invisible to the person practicing them because they are socially rewarded in early career stages. However, at senior levels, they become barriers to trust, influence, and collaboration.

Goldsmith emphasizes that interpersonal behavior—not technical skill—is the primary limiter of executive success.

Part 3: How to Change for the Better

After diagnosing the problem, the book shifts to solutions. This section focuses on practical methods for lasting behavioral change, especially in relationships.

Key strategies include:

Embracing Feedback

Feedback is positioned not as criticism, but as a gift. Leaders must actively seek it rather than wait for it.

Learning to Apologize

A sincere apology builds trust and demonstrates humility—an essential leadership trait.

Publicly Declaring Change

Announcing intentions to improve creates accountability and invites support from others.

Listening Deeply

True listening requires silence, presence, and curiosity—skills often neglected by high performers.

Saying Thank You

Gratitude strengthens relationships and shifts focus away from ego.

Practicing Feedforward

Rather than dwelling on past mistakes, Goldsmith introduces “feedforward”—a future-focused approach that encourages constructive suggestions for improvement.

This section reinforces that change is not about knowing what to do, but consistently doing it.

Part 4: Putting the Stop Signs in Place

In the final section, Goldsmith addresses discipline and sustainability. Growth does not come only from starting new behaviors—it also comes from stopping harmful ones.

Key principles include:

• Choose the Right Thing to Change – Not everything needs fixing; focus matters.

• Stop Lying to Yourself – Radical honesty is required for real transformation.

• There Is No Perfect Behavior – Leadership is contextual; flexibility is essential.

Goldsmith encourages leaders to set clear “stop signs”—signals that prevent old habits from resurfacing.

This final section underscores that self-awareness without self-control is meaningless.

Key Themes and Insights

Several powerful themes run throughout the book:

• Success increases the risk of blind spots

• Interpersonal skills matter more than intelligence at higher levels

• Feedback is essential for growth

• Humility is a strategic advantage

• Continuous improvement is a lifelong responsibility

The book repeatedly emphasizes that leadership growth is less about adding skills and more about removing obstacles.

Conclusion

What Got You Here Won’t Get You There is a highly reflective and practical book, especially valuable for individuals who are already successful but feel stuck, ineffective, or limited in their influence.

This book is strongly recommended for:

• Leaders and executives seeking greater impact

• Professionals transitioning into senior roles

• Individuals committed to continuous self-improvement

• Anyone willing to confront uncomfortable truths about their behavior

Ultimately, Marshall Goldsmith delivers a timeless message: growth requires humility, discipline, and the courage to change—even when you are already winning. Success is not the end of the journey; it is the point where the real work begins.