Marshall Goldsmith Books

Before we dive into the twelve specific habits that often hold women back, it’s essential to understand the nature of habits themselves. A habit is not merely a bad or good behavior—it’s a learned pattern that becomes automatic through repetition. Habits emerge because they serve a purpose; they onc...

From How Women Rise: Break the 12 Habits Holding You Back from Your Next Raise, Promotion, or Job

If there’s one behavior that consistently holds women back, it’s the habit of downplaying their own accomplishments. Time and again, I’ve met brilliant women who work tirelessly behind the scenes but avoid taking credit for their results. They defer recognition, attribute success to the team, or hop...

From How Women Rise: Break the 12 Habits Holding You Back from Your Next Raise, Promotion, or Job

Early in my career, I believed that external success was synonymous with happiness. Coaching executives taught me otherwise. Many high achievers, though surrounded by riches and accolades, confessed privately to feeling hollow. This paradox fascinated me—the world seemed to reward ambition but penal...

From The Earned Life: Lose Regret, Choose Fulfillment

Regret is our mind’s way of reminding us of misalignment. It tells us that something was left unrealized—not necessarily the missed opportunity but the deeper truth that we didn’t act according to who we wanted to be. In my experience coaching accomplished individuals, regret often becomes the most ...

From The Earned Life: Lose Regret, Choose Fulfillment

Every waking minute we are surrounded by invisible cues—people, places, situations, and even fleeting emotions—that push us toward certain behaviors. These are what I call 'triggers.' They can remind us, provoke us, steer us, or sabotage us. The environment doesn’t ask our permission to influence us...

From Triggers: Creating Behavior That Lasts—Becoming the Person You Want to Be

We all live in the gap between what we want to do and what we actually do. That gap widens when we assume motivation alone can carry us through the day. At sunrise, our intentions are clear: eat healthy, stay calm, listen attentively, be generous. By dusk, confronted with hundreds of micro-triggers,...

From Triggers: Creating Behavior That Lasts—Becoming the Person You Want to Be