What Got You Here Won’t Get You There is Marshall Goldsmith’s amazing book on how successful people become more successful. It is a great read for executives who have been fired or for those who are successful in many ways but cannot move to the next level of performance.
I am in Westport for Christmas. It is near freezing. There is a mix of rain and snow falling on the 8 inches of snow that arrived last weekend. The weather aside, I am with family who love me unconditionally in a warm house filled with holiday cheer. This includes my wonderfully precocious three-year-old grandson, Jack. He is so smart, so quick and so I have to watch my old reporter’s language very carefully.
This loving warmth and good cheer has filled me with a great sense of confidence for the upcoming New Year. Yes, we face challenging times for the next four or five quarters, but America will recover if our new President acts wisely and the very large stimulus package that is being prepared to jump start the economy is used very wisely (read: sans Congressional Pork). We are still the most creative and capable nation in the world. To borrow from Tom Friedman’s excellent column in today’s New York Times, Time To Reboot America, we just need to reboot and remember those things that make us a great nation – education, creativity, innovation, and determination.
As I close this posting, I want to borrow from Dr. Goldsmith’s wisdom: As a leader you should recognize that success is not achieved because you have overcome great hurdles or triumphed over vexing handicaps, but because you have surrounded yourself with great people. “You have stacked the deck in your favor,” Dr. Goldsmith writes.
As you spend time with friends and family this holiday season, reserve some quiet time for yourself to reflect on 2008 – the successes and the setbacks. Do not forget the contributions of your great people. Be thankful.
It is Christmas Eve, but it is not too late to say Thank You.
Merry Christmas. Happy Hanukkah.