Cultures of Growth by Mary C. Murphy Summary
Overview of Cultures of Growth
Discover how growth mindsets transform organizations in Mary Murphy's groundbreaking book. Microsoft's revival under Nadella proves her decade of research: companies thriving on collaboration outperform genius-worshipping rivals. What cultural shifts separate stagnant teams from innovative powerhouses? The answer will revolutionize your leadership approach.
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Key takeaways
The Power of Environment: How Culture Shapes Mindset
What if the secret to unlocking your organization's full potential isn't about hiring more "geniuses," but creating an environment where everyone can grow? This revolutionary idea forms the foundation of Mary Murphy's groundbreaking work on mindset culture. Moving beyond Carol Dweck's individual mindset research, Murphy reveals how organizational cultures themselves embody either fixed or growth mindsets - with profound consequences for innovation, collaboration, ethics, and inclusion. The framework has transformed companies like Microsoft, where CEO Satya Nadella credits these principles for the company's remarkable turnaround. Rather than being either fixed or growth-oriented, mindset exists on a continuum that we move along based on situations and social context. No one has exclusively one mindset - we all have both, with our position shifting depending on circumstances. What's been critically overlooked is how organizational culture powerfully influences individual mindsets, sometimes even blocking growth mindset. Leaders often focus solely on developing individuals without addressing the environment that shapes their thinking. Consider Barre3 CEO Sadie Lincoln, who discovered she had unintentionally created a "culture of perfection" despite believing her fitness business embodied growth mindset. By modeling flawless performance, she created an environment where employees felt demotivated rather than inspired. This revelation transformed her leadership approach. She became more transparent about her own learning process and created space for employees to experiment and sometimes fail.
The DNA of Organizational Mindset and Collaboration
Unleashing Innovation Through Growth Mindset
Building Ethical Organizations Through Mindset
Creating Cultures of Belonging
Becoming a Culture Creator
The Impact of Mindset on Organizational Success
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"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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