What got you here won't get you there
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photo credit: craig neal
My call with executive coach Marshall Goldsmith last week was compelling. As a New Yorker profile mentions, his "often unsettling frankness" was refreshing and energizing. Those of us on the call could see why developing our own rigor toward clarity and living into the advice of "Be happy now" is crucial advice for our daily lives.
- Resource tip from Marshall at the bottom of my post
- Listen again or for the first time: Audio file on the left
Alliant International University recently named its business school after Marshall as testament to Marshall's work that focuses on the human side of business, such as personal mastery and creativity.
The title of Marshall's new book What Got You Here Won't Get You There speaks to the need to move away from old command and control behaviors to a mind frame of "Make peace. Change what you can change now. Take a deep breath and let go of the rest." Changing ourselves creates change around us... not rocket science, just simple wisdom to live daily.
Nuggets:
Servant leadership: It's not about me, it's about the client. It's not about the CEO, it's about the team. The reason to get coached, to make changes, is not to "kiss corporate butt and play some games to get ahead... but because in your heart you think this is the right thing to do."
"Peter Drucker always said, 'Who's the customer?' I want you to imagine sombody following you around for 2 months writing an 8,000 word story about your life. I thought, 'OK, who's the customer here?' First i thought it was my clients... to heck with it. The customer was not my clients. The customer was my unborn great-grandchildren..."
Questions and Reflections: Questions and reflections from participants came fast and eager. It was an engaged group, energized by a present, clear, engaged person who lives to be happy now and to serve others, not by focusing on what there is to learn, but how to be and do with actions that support a way of being that believes "...you can't be happy by having less and you can't be happy by having more. You can only be happy with what you have."
*Resource tip: Marshall's site is full of articles, columns, interviews, webcasts, audios and even many free videos. His request: "Please read, listen to, watch, download, copy, or send any of this material to anyone you wish."
With gratitude, Patricia Neal
