Book Review: What Got You Here Won't Get You There

The premise of this book is the cut-throat no-mercy end-justifies-the-means killer instinct that got you where you are today (upper management) is paradoxically going to prevent you from climbing that final rung of the ladder to becoming a successful top dog CEO. The author preaches - with anecdotal parables cherry picked from his vast clientele - once you reach the pinnacle of your career you need to change your competitive ways and be more nurturing to and supportive of your staff rather than using them as stepping stones to success. He builds a nice long list of traits and behaviors to be cognizant of changing, such as taking credit for the work of others, always adding your two cents just to assert your authority, showing favoritism to employees, etc. He outlines his technique for breaking potential executives of these habits, interviewing the subordinates to determine which areas need the most attention, and making the 'patient' actively participate in the exercises of periodic self review. It's one of those books where each chapter you read you think, "Ha, I knew a guy like that!" but you rarely think, "Ooh he's talking about me here." If you're in upper management and you're having trouble reaching the next level or you've got turmoil with your peers and employees, it might be worth cracking this book and doing a little self evaluation.