Marshall Goldsmith: Leadership Habits That Sustain Brand Success

Leadership Series

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Week Nine

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Leadership Series | Week Nine |

Good brands result from good leadership. Marshall Goldsmith, one of the world's most respected executive coaches, makes a compelling case for why small, consistent leadership behaviors are at the heart of lasting success. Their work focuses on behavior change—tiny actions repeated over time—that can transform leaders, their teams, and, ultimately, their brands.

It's a simple but powerful idea: small things add up.

Small Habits, Big Impact

The small stuff—like asking the right questions or offering consistent feedback—drives results over time. That same principle applies to brand leadership. Take ALDI, for example. It didn't become one of the most beloved grocery brands by accident. The leadership there consistently prioritizes customer insights, finding ways to weave those into everything they do, from product innovation to store experiences.

While grand gestures can be nice, it is about the small, disciplined habits that become a brand's backbone.

Staying Relevant by Adapting

One of Goldsmith's most quoted truths is this: what got you here won't get you there. And isn't that the challenge for every brand leader? No matter how strong a brand might be today, resting on yesterday's success is a recipe for irrelevance.

EXAMPLE: Microsoft

Look at Microsoft's transformation under Satya Nadella. Nadella's leadership philosophy centers on creating a growth mindset culture. That mindset helped Microsoft pivot from a software giant to a cloud computing and AI leader. Nadella didn't just adapt the business strategy; they fostered a leadership style that embraced change and innovation—a masterclass in what Goldsmith's philosophy looks like in action.

Accountability Is a Team Effort

Leadership is about owning decisions—and helping others own theirs, too. Goldsmith emphasizes the power of feedback and accountability, and brands thrive when those principles are baked into their culture.

EXAMPLE: Zappos

Zappos is known for its company culture and commitment to customer service. Its leaders ensure that its values aren't just words on a wall but actionable principles. Zappos has built a brand rooted in trust and accountability through initiatives like transparency in company goals and empowering employees to make customer-first decisions. By consistently modeling these habits, Zappos's leadership ensures that their team feels engaged, aligned, and ready to deliver on the brand promise.

Resilient Habits for Resilient Brands

Resilience is how you respond to setbacks. Goldsmith points to habits like gratitude and staying focused on weather challenges. That's as true for brands as it is for individuals.

EXAMPLE: LEGO

After facing near collapse, LEGO's leadership focused on a core habit: sticking to its mission of inspiring creativity. LEGO didn't make a comeback overnight. It took clear focus and steady, deliberate decisions from its leadership to rebuild the brand. Again, resilience is not just big, flashy moves; it is the consistent effort that will eventually pay off. Today, it's a case study on resilience and the power of leadership habits.

Final Thoughts

Leadership is so much more than fancy degrees and titles—good leadership requires discipline, made up of small, consistent actions and habits. Don't underestimate the power of incremental changes.

Sustainable success is about leaders who show up, day after day, with intention. The habits they model—accountability, adaptability, and resilience—become the DNA of their brand's success.

References:

Frei, F., & Morriss, A. (2020, August 25). Uncommon service: The Zappos case study. Inc. https://www.inc.com/inc-advisor/zappos-managing-people-uncommon-service.html

Goldsmith, M. (2007). What Got You Here Won't Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful. Hyperion.

Goldsmith, M. (2015). Triggers: Creating Behavior That Lasts – Becoming the Person You Want to Be. Crown Business.

Greenblatt, S. (2015, November 28). The LEGO success story: Getting everything to awesome! Harvard Business Publishing. https://d3.harvard.edu/platform-rctom/submission/the-lego-success-story-getting-everything-to-awesome/

Tabrizi, B. (2023, February 20). How Microsoft became innovative again. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2023/02/how-microsoft-became-innovative-again