The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk - 559: Marshall Goldsmith - The Power of Executive Coaching, How To Give & Receive Feedback, & Attributes of The Best Leaders (What Got You Here Won't Get You There)

559: Marshall Goldsmith - The Power of Executive Coaching, How To Give & Receive Feedback, & Attributes of The Best Leaders (What Got You Here Won't Get You There)

12/18/23 • 48 min

Order The Score That Matters NOW. CLICK HERE. In The Score That Matters, Ryan Hawk and Brook Cupps show that the internal score is what matters most—it reveals whether we are living in alignment with our purpose and values. Offering both descriptive and prescriptive advice and anecdotes, The Score That Matters will help you unlock true fulfillment and happiness by discovering your purpose, identifying your values, creating critical behaviors, and living them faithfully every day in all aspects of your life.

Notes from my conversation with Marshall Goldsmith:

Attributes of the best leaders he’s worked with:
- They are courageous, they have humility, and they are disciplined.
Do we all need a coach?
- "I don’t know, but if we’re honest with ourselves, we all need help. And a coach can be someone to help..."
Happiness and achievement are independent variables.
- I felt we kept going around in circles because I’m a prescriptive thinker and like actionable takeaways. And I feel like Marshall was helping me understand it’s more of a mindset.
With a PhD from UCLA, Marshall is a pioneer of 360-degree feedback as a leadership development tool. His early efforts in providing feedback and then following-up with executives to measure changes in behavior were precursors to what eventually evolved as the field of executive coaching.
“Fate is the hand of cards we’ve been dealt. The choice is how we play the hand.”
“Getting mad at people for being who they are makes as much sense as getting mad at a chair for being a chair.”
“Successful people become great leaders when they learn to shift the focus from themselves to others.”
“People who believe they can succeed see opportunities where others see threats.”
“If we do not create and control our environment, our environment creates and controls us.”
“A leader who cannot shoulder the blame is not someone we will follow blindly into battle. We instinctively question that individual’s character, dependability, and loyalty to us. And so we hold back on our loyalty to him or her.”
“Peter Drucker, who said, “Our mission in life should be to make a positive difference, not to prove how smart or right we are.”
“People will do something—including changing their behavior—only if it can be demonstrated that doing so is in their own best interests as defined by their own values.”

Notes from my conversation with Marshall Goldsmith:

Attributes of the best leaders he’s worked with:
- They are courageous, they have humility, and they are disciplined.
Do we all need a coach?
- "I don’t know, but if we’re honest with ourselves, we all need help. And a coach can be someone to help..."
Happiness and achievement are independent variables.
- I felt we kept going around in circles because I’m a prescriptive thinker and like actionable takeaways. And I feel like Marshall was helping me understand it’s more of a mindset.
With a PhD from UCLA, Marshall is a pioneer of 360-degree feedback as a leadership development tool. His early efforts in providing feedback and then following-up with executives to measure changes in behavior were precursors to what eventually evolved as the field of executive coaching.
“Fate is the hand of cards we’ve been dealt. The choice is how we play the hand.”
“Getting mad at people for being who they are makes as much sense as getting mad at a chair for being a chair.”
“Successful people become great leaders when they learn to shift the focus from themselves to others.”
“People who believe they can succeed see opportunities where others see threats.”
“If we do not create and control our environment, our environment creates and controls us.”
“A leader who cannot shoulder the blame is not someone we will follow blindly into battle. We instinctively question that individual’s character, dependability, and loyalty to us. And so we hold back on our loyalty to him or her.”
“Peter Drucker, who said, “Our mission in life should be to make a positive difference, not to prove how smart or right we are.”
“People will do something—including changing their behavior—only if it can be demonstrated that doing so is in their own best interests as defined by their own values.”

Previous Episode

558: Introducing Our New Book, "The Score That Matters," (With Brook Cupps)

“The big question about how people behave is whether they’ve got an Inner Scorecard or an Outer Scorecard. It helps if you can be satisfied with an Inner Scorecard.” - Warren Buffet – The inner scorecard is about eliminating comparison with others and living in alignment with what’s most important to you. Your values and the behaviors to match those values.
- The inner scorecard eliminates the comparison of things.
How to build trust? Laugh together, cry together, suffer together (do hard things).
Resume virtues versus Eulogy virtues. We’ll get caught up in living for our resume (promotions, money, objects) if we're not intentional. We think it’s better to live for your eulogy virtues (the impact you had on people, fulfilling your purpose, living in alignment with your true values)
Why a strong purpose beats a good plan: we explain how a strong purpose erases obstacles, is never about you, and is highlighted by considering death.
Why being the greatest is a mirage: While greatness is a process that is attainable for all, we share why becoming the greatest is a destination that no one can reach.
How to navigate the tricky art of building trust: Throughout 25 years of teaching and coaching Brook has refined the trust-building process to 3 simple actions every leader can use.
How to fight the poison of comparison: Our focus on a consistent process over the societal pursuit of results seems contradictory to excellence but just may lay the foundation for its attainment.
Why self-awareness is not a solo flight: The feedback we seek from special people in our life, our foxhole, reminds us that we are tougher together.
Why team captains are overrated: Brook connects how the shared ownership of a team is best when all members assume the responsibility of upholding the standards.
How plain and simple can bore you right to excellence: We like to complicate success, but we point back to a consistent return to the fundamentals.
Brook originally learned about creating and living his core values from Coach Dick Bennett's "Pillars of Success."
Brook's values are: Tough, Passionate, Unified, and Thankful.
My values are: Thoughtful, Thankful, Curious, and Consistent.
Foxhole friends are disagreeable givers. They are kind enough to give you honest feedback. And you do the same for them.
Thankful Thursdays
- Send a text message, email, or handwritten note to three people you're thankful for every Thursday.
Push the pace... Full-court pressing and always running a fast break on offense is living up to Brook's value of speaking and acting with urgency (unified).
- How Brook coaches his team to play: "Our anchor defensively is no comfort, no vision. We want you to never be comfortable. And we want the same thing offensively. We say simple and together, but we think of pressing you offensively too. We don't want you to be comfortable. We want you to be on your heels."

Next Episode

560: Dr. Barry Posner - Model the Way, Inspire a Shared Vision, Challenge the Process, Encourage Others to Act (The Leadership Challenge)

Pre-order our new book, The Score That Matters

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Full show notes at www.LearningLeader.com

Dr. Barry Posner, author of The Leadership Challenge and The Truth About Leadership

The 4 characteristics of leaders whom we would most choose to follow:
- Honest (trustworthy, they do what they say they’re going to do)
- Competent (Smart, and constantly learning)
- Inspiring - Energetic, enthusiastic. Inspire means to breathe life in to...
- Forward-looking - They have a sense of the future. They share a compelling vision
People all have values, but not everyone knows what they are. To know what our values are, we must be thoughtful and intentional about them and do the reflective work to understand what we value most.
What is Kouzes and Posner's leadership theory? Their research, which they conducted over almost 20 years, suggested that leadership is not a position, but a collection of practices and behaviors. These practices serve as guidance for leaders to accomplish their achievements or “to get extraordinary things done.
The Leadership Challenge – Leaders drive results and achieve goals. To face the obstacles of today and tomorrow, we need leaders at a high level. The Leadership Challenge gives everyone the tools and practices to Model the Way, Inspire a Shared Vision, Challenge the Process, Enable Others to Act, and Encourage the Hearts of those around them.
"In the middle of responding to an audience question one of us was saying, “I don’t know what you call something that’s been the same for twenty-five years, but...,” and Ken Blanchard interrupted, exclaiming, 'I’d call it the truth.'"
The Truth About Leadership
1. The first truth is that You Make a Difference.
2. The second truth is that Credibility Is the Foundation of Leadership. If people don’t believe in you, they won’t willingly follow you.
3. The third truth is that Values Drive Commitment. People want to know what you stand for and believe in.
4. The fourth truth is that Focusing on the Future Sets Leaders Apart. The capacity to imagine and articulate exciting future possibilities is a defining competence of leaders. You have to take the long-term perspective.
5. You Can’t Do It Alone is the fifth truth. Leadership is a team sport...What strengthens and sustains the relationship between leader and constituent is that leaders are obsessed with what is best for others, not what is best for themselves.
6. Trust Rules is the sixth truth. Trust is the social glue that holds individuals and groups together. And the level of trust others have in you will determine the amount of influence you have. You have to earn your constituents’ trust before they’ll be willing to trust you. That means you have to give trust before you can get trust.
7. The seventh truth is that Challenge Is the Crucible for Greatness. Great achievements don’t happen when you keep things the same. Change invariably involves a challenge, and challenge tests you.
8. Truth number eight reminds you that You Either Lead by Example or You Don’t Lead at All. Leaders have to keep their promises and become role models for the values and actions they espouse.
9. Truth number nine is that The Best Leaders Are the Best Learners. Leaders are constant improvement fanatics, and learning is the master skill of leadership.
10. The tenth truth is that Leadership Is an Affair of the Heart. It could also be the first truth. Leaders are in love with their constituents, their customers and clients, and the mission that they are serving. Leaders make others feel important and are gracious in showing their appreciation. Love is the motivation that energizes leaders to give so much for others. You just won’t work hard enough to become great if you aren’t doing what you love.
Credo = Beliefs (credibility)
Leadership is a team sport. You can't do it alone.
- We are all community-made.
The best leaders are the best learners.
Challenge is the crucible for greatness.
Life/Career advice:
- Remain curious
- Ask questions
- Volunteer