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One of the most dysfunctional beliefs of successful people is our contempt for simplicity and structure. We believe that we are above needing structure to help us on seemingly simple tasks.
Marshall Goldsmith
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Successful individuals often overlook the importance of simplicity and structure in achieving their goals.

This quote by Marshall Goldsmith highlights a common misconception among successful people: the belief that they can bypass basic structures and simplifications when tackling tasks. It suggests that this contempt for simplicity can lead to dysfunction, indicating that even the most accomplished individuals can benefit from clear guidelines and straightforward approaches to tasks, rather than overcomplicating them.

Themes

SimplicityStructureSuccessBeliefDysfunction

In practice

Example use cases

In a corporate workshop on productivity, this quote could be used to encourage team members to adopt simpler processes.

More from Marshall Goldsmith

Active questions are the alternative to passive questions. There is a huge difference between, 'Do you have clear goals?' and 'Did you do your best to set clear goals for yourself?' The former is trying to determine the employee's state of mind; the latter challenges the employee to describe or defend a course of action.
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Treat every piece of advice as a gift or a compliment and simply say, “Thank you.
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The only thing I don't think people don't understand about good leaders is that they're both good and lucky. A lot of it is timing.
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Life is short. Do whatever you can to help people - not for status, but because the 95-year-old you will be proud if you did help people and disappointed if you didn't.
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If we become aware of what's happening before we act, behaviour becomes a function of choice rather than a result of an impulse or trigger. You begin to control your world more as opposed to the outside world controlling you.
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A leader who is self-aware enough to know that he or she is not adept at everything is one who has taken the first step toward being a great leader.
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