Nine Lies About Work

A Freethinking Leader's Guide to the Real World

By: Marcus Buckingham, Ashley Goodall

Narrated by: Marcus Buckingham, Ashley Goodall

Your organization's culture is the key to its success. Strategic planning is essential. People's competencies should be measured and their weaknesses shored up. People crave feedback.

These may sound like basic truths of our work lives today. But actually, they're lies. As Marcus Buckingham and Ashley Goodall show in this provocative, inspiring book, there are some big lies - distortions, faulty assumptions, wrong thinking - running through our organizational lives.

But there are those who can get past the lies and discover what's real. These are freethinking leaders who recognize the power and beauty of our individual uniqueness, who know that emergent patterns are more valuable than received wisdom, and that evidence is more powerful than dogma.

With engaging stories and incisive analysis, the authors reveal the essential truths that such freethinking leaders will recognize immediately: that it is the strength and cohesiveness of your team, not your company's culture, that matters most; that we need less focus on top-down planning and more on giving our people reliable, real-time intelligence; that rather than trying to align people's goals we should strive to align people's sense of purpose and meaning; that people don't want constant feedback, they want helpful attention.

This is the real world of work.

©2019 One Thing Productions, Inc. and Ashley Goodall (P)2019 Gildan Media

Leadership in front of your eyes

You will view leadership very differently when reading this book. Most people read books to become better leaders or to 'become' one. This book shows you that it has always been in front of and in you. Everybody has beem looking at leadership from a different perspective.

lost me a couple of times

some of the stories were a little long trying to make a point otherwise many other good examples and points made.

So many lightbulb moments

This book helped me understand and articulate with clarity, the myths that modern business are founded on. The book questions the age-old practices that seem to frustrate lot of leaders and followers alike. I would recommend it for every team leader.

Provocative and exciting read

This book challenges common beliefs in work context. It's a great read for curious and open-minded people, whether they work in management and HR roles, or not.

Best Leadership book ever written

Loved it. Absolutely incredible. Having knowledge and experience in some of the lies is helpful in understanding. Favorite chapter is "People have potential" Having witnessed it personally at my previous company its incredibly refreshing to hear the immorality of the high potential list and the injustices it creates. Can't say enough good things about this book, although I've probably practiced well over half these lies, I now understand why there are better ways.

Brilliant Work

I highly recommend the audible version so you can hear the authors share their brilliant work. The last chapter on leadership is especially poignant as Ashley recounts the leadership examples of ML King, including his last days in Memphis. Listening to this chapter is emotionally riveting and it will crystalize for you the reason people follow other people.

Well done Ashley & Marcus and thank you for sharing your unique strengths with the world!

Fantastic book

Such a joy to listen to. So many ideas to reflect on... chapter 8 was a life changer for me where my mind really put my own work puzzle together.

Lacerating

This is the most important work of the author. It has implications beyond work.
Thank you.

The best leadership advice

this book has the best leadership advice that I have ever read in a book on leadership. this is ironic because one of the lies they talk about is that leadership is a thing. the book gives very useful information on how to best lead and inspire a team to accomplish real results for the benefit of an organization.

Shift perspective!

Just a wonderful opportunity to think differently about how humans really work. Well written and well narrated by the authors.
Some may take exception with the lengthy focus on a particular leader in the last chapter, but it is done to compare elements of leadership.
Not a short read or listen. Definitely points to just pause and reflect needed.