Sheila Madden, CEO, Madden Coaching & Consulting

Wisdom from Marshall Goldsmith & Peter Drucker

One of my favorite leadership books is Marshall Goldsmith’s, “What Got You Here Won’t Get You There”.  I particularly like the chapter on the 20 habits that can keep leaders, and subsequently their organizations, from being extraordinary and reaching their full potential.

Goldsmith shares a great quote from Peter Drucker:

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

What Might You Need To Stop?

I ask my coaching clients to take a spin through this list of 20 bad leadership habits before we meet. It is a very helpful tool to use for becoming more self-aware, targeting areas where you need to improve, and thus, being a more responsible and impactful leader. Do you need to stop any of these habits?

  1. Needing to win too much
  2. Adding too much value….your 2 cents to every discussion
  3. Passing judgement
  4. Making destructive comments
  5. Starting with “No”, “But,” or “However”
  6. Telling the world how smart you 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 undeserved credit
  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 “you”

Extraordinary Doesn’t Mean Perfect

Being an extraordinary leader isn’t about being perfect. It is about:

  1. Regularly and honestly examining your leadership behavior
  2. Asking for feedback
  3. Understanding the impact your behavior is having on people
  4. Having the courage to do what needs doing to change what needs changing

Check out the book and other helpful resources of Marshall’s:  http://www.marshallgoldsmithlibrary.com/html/marshall/books.html