Dr. Marshall Goldsmith is a world authority in helping successful leaders get even better - by achieving positive lasting change in behaviour: for themselves, their people and their teams.

Marshall has been a huge influence on the business world around him in the field of behavioral change. His book What got you Here won't get you There was not only a best-seller, but the Wall Street Journal's #1 business book and winner of the Best Business Book of the Year.

The book goes over best practices on how to become more successful than you already are, and all the points made in the book are adapted from Dr. Goldsmith working with Fortune 100 CEO's in the field. You would think a CEO of a top organization couldn't be more successful; Marshall Goldsmith proves otherwise and gives tips on how to get past his "twenty bad habits of successful people".

His newest book Succession: Are you Ready dives into the human side of a CEO, or any executive's successor. Dr. Goldsmith utilizes his 30 years of expertise developing and working with CEO's to find the best ways for any leader to let go of the top spot and ways to make the transition as smooth as possible, whether it is a promotion or retirement.

Interview

The interview today goes over topics first starting with Succession: Are you Ready, and then to What got you Here won't get you There. It was a privilege and an honor to have Marshall Goldsmith to take the opportunity to help contribute to the education of effective management that I provide on Jorrian.com.

1.    When do most CEO's realize that it is time to "pass on the torch" in their organization?

The most effective ones leave before they are asked to go.  They leave when their successor is ready to take over.

2.    What are the fears of a CEO that is about to leave the organization? How do they overcome those fears?

The largest fears are a potential lack of meaning, contribution and happiness in the future.  The best way to overcome these fears is to create a future that includes meaningful work, important contribution and work that makes them happy.

3.    What positive and negative behaviors impact a CEO coaching their successor? How do they overcome them?

On the positive side, CEOs want to ‘leave a positive legacy’ and to develop a potential successor who can continue this legacy.  On the negative side, CEOs may place too much focus on leaders who remind them of themselves.  To overcome this natural trap, CEOs need to help shore up successor’s shortcomings in coaching – and to review their own tendency to over-rate their strengths.

4.    In your studies and implementation of being a behavioral coach, what "success" behaviors have you run into recently that hold leaders back from developing in today's economic climate?

In today’s rapidly changing economic climate, leaders need to be extremely flexible.  They need to be able to make fast decisions.  They need to be willing to change their plans as the world changes.

5.    When coaching clients for behavioral change, sometimes those clients fall off the bandwagon on improving because they are "too busy" or "forgot", what is the most effective way to keep someone on track with their improvement plan?

This is why follow-up with a coach can be so helpful.  My clients are all great people.  They are also busy people.  In can be hard for extremely busy people to ‘stick with the plan’ and do the work that is required to achieve positive, lasting change in behavior.

6.    MarshallGoldsmithLibrary.com is full of free materials, what was the driving factor in giving your work away for free?

I am a Buddhist.  I am going to die anyway.  Why not try to do a little good to help people while I am here?

Thank you again Marshall for the interview, we'll see you next time!

For anyone who wants to dive into Marshall Goldsmith's work, he provides free articles, podcasts and resources at his personal website http://www.marshallgoldsmithlibrary.com!

Below are his three most recent and top books, recommended reading in order for anyone to become successful in any organization!