Nine Lies About Work book cover

Nine Lies About Work by Marcus Buckingham Summary

Nine Lies About Work
Marcus Buckingham
4.1 (3899 Reviews)
Leadership
Business
Psychology
Overview
Key Takeaways
Author
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Overview of Nine Lies About Work

"Nine Lies About Work" demolishes workplace myths that drain productivity. Marcus Buckingham proves why team dynamics trump company culture and why focusing on strengths beats fixing weaknesses. Randy Mayes calls it "worth our time" for anyone seeking to build high-performing teams in today's complex workplace.

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Key takeaways

1

The Workplace Revolution: Challenging What We "Know" About Work

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Ever wonder why so many workplace practices that seem like common sense actually frustrate the people they're meant to help? Marcus Buckingham and Ashley Goodall's provocative book "Nine Lies About Work" tackles this head-on, challenging deeply entrenched beliefs that have become organizational dogma. Drawing from extensive research at companies like Cisco and ADP, they reveal how these "lies" create systems that push against our uniqueness and humanity. With global worker engagement hovering below 20%, they argue it's time to stop forcing people into standardized boxes and instead design workplaces that celebrate individual uniqueness as the raw material for healthy organizations. Their insights have sparked conversations across industries about how we might build more human-centered workplaces where people can truly thrive.

2

Your Team Experience Trumps Company Culture

3

Real-Time Intelligence and Performance Drivers

4

Excellence Through Strengths and Attention

5

Love-in-Work Over Work-Life Balance

6

Building Intelligence Systems for Teams

7

Reimagining Work: From Dogma to Human Reality

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Nine Lies About Work isn't just a book — it's a masterclass in Leadership. To help you absorb its lessons in the way that works best for you, we offer five unique learning modes. Whether you're a deep thinker, a fast learner, or a story lover, there's a mode designed to fit your style.

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Break down key ideas from Nine Lies About Work into bite-sized takeaways to understand how innovative teams create, collaborate, and grow.

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Distill Nine Lies About Work into rapid-fire memory cues that highlight Pixar’s principles of candor, teamwork, and creative resilience.

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"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."

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"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."

@Matt, YC alum
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108

"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."

@Erin, Investment Banking Associate , NYC
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254
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"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."

@djmikemoore
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"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."

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"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."

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"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."

@Chloe, Solo founder, LA
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likes
117

"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."

@Raaaaaachelw
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"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."

@Matt, YC alum
platform
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12
likes
108

"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."

@Erin, Investment Banking Associate , NYC
platform
comments
254
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17

"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."

@djmikemoore
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"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."

@Pitiful
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"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."

@SofiaP
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"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"

@Jaded_Falcon
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"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."

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"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."

@Leo, Law Student, UPenn
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"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"

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