Leadership Step by Step

CHAPTER 12

Feedforward

Marshall Goldsmith created Feedforward, this chapter’s exercise. It’s name is a play on words with feedback. You’ll see why when you practice it. It’s quick, easy to learn, and simple (although not always easy), and, most importantly, it works. You can use it your whole life, learning from it each time you use it.

Marshall built his coaching practice on it over decades. As a testament to its ease of use, applicability, and effectiveness, his client Alan Mulally, as an executive at Boeing, used the technique enough that Marshall barely had to coach him. He soon became CEO of Ford and soon after that was named both CEO and Person of the Year.

You will master Feedforward as well. It only takes a few times practicing to get ...