What got you here, won't get you there 

Its nice to get back to reviewing books again!

This book in the spirit of CANI (contact and never-ending improvement) where it's not technical skills or certificates that'll level you up but actually behavioral changes.

As basic as saying thank you, thinking before you speak and apologizing for your mistakes.

The book highlights that smart people know what to do, but may not know what to stop.

Marshall Goldsmith kicks off with the 20 Bad Habits to cease which are:

1. Winning too much

2. Adding too much value 

3. Passing judgment

4. Making destructive comments

5. Starting with NO, BUT or HOWEVER

6. Telling the world how smart we are

7. Speaking when angry

8. Negativity, or “Let me explain why that won’t work”

9. Withholding information

10. Failing to give proper recognition

11. Claiming credit that that we don’t deserve

12. Making excuses

13. Clinging to the past

14. Playing favorites

15. Refusing to express regret

16. Not listening

17. Failing to express gratitude 

18. Punishing the messenger

19. Passing the Buck

20. An excessive need to be “me" 

“We spend a lot of time helping leaders learn what to do. We do not spend enough time teaching leaders what to stop. Half of the leaders I have met don’t need to learn what to do. They need to learn what to stop.”   

Marshall Goldsmith

From then with the bad habits identified, he introduces the 7 steps for future leader improvements: 

1. Get Feedback

2. Apologize

3. Declare your Intentions

4. Listen Actively

5. Express your Gratitude

6. Follow Up

7. Practice Feedforward

It is with a commitment to our behaviors (good or bad)  that will ultimately determine how far we go.

Personally I have many in the list of 20 I need to actively work on and use the 7 steps to continually work on in the CANI mindset.

Cheers,