
"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.
Marcus Buckingham, New York Times bestselling author of Nine Lies About Work, is a globally recognized authority on strengths-based leadership and workplace performance. A former Gallup Organization researcher and co-creator of the influential StrengthsFinder assessment, Buckingham built his career challenging conventional management practices through books like First, Break All the Rules and Now, Discover Your Strengths.
His work focuses on debunking outdated workplace myths, a theme central to Nine Lies About Work, which exposes flawed assumptions about feedback, culture, and leadership hierarchy.
Founder of The Marcus Buckingham Company (acquired by ADP in 2017), he has advised Fortune 500 leaders and appeared on platforms like The Oprah Winfrey Show and Good Morning America. His TED Talk on career success and Harvard Business Review contributions further cement his status as a management thought leader.
Buckingham’s books have sold millions worldwide, with First, Break All the Rules named one of the “100 Best Business Books of All Time” by The New York Times.
Nine Lies About Work challenges conventional workplace myths, exposing flawed beliefs about leadership, feedback, and company culture. Authors Marcus Buckingham and Ashley Goodall reveal data-backed truths, such as prioritizing team dynamics over company culture and focusing on strengths over well-roundedness. The book offers actionable strategies for leaders to boost engagement by rethinking hiring, recognition, and employee development.
This book is ideal for managers, HR professionals, and employees seeking to improve workplace dynamics. Leaders aiming to build high-performing teams, foster individualized growth, and debunk outdated practices like cascading goals or forced feedback cycles will find actionable insights.
Yes—it combines 20+ years of research from Cisco and ADP with practical frameworks like the “Best of WE/ME” engagement model. Its evidence-based approach to redefining leadership and team success makes it valuable for anyone navigating modern organizational challenges.
The authors identify 8 engagement drivers, split into two categories:
The book argues conventional feedback is ineffective (Lie #5), advocating instead for consistent attention to strengths. Leaders should focus on recognizing excellence and asking questions like “What worked well?” rather than fixating on weaknesses.
This truth (Lie #4) emphasizes that unique strengths matter more than well-roundedness. High performers excel in specific areas rather than conforming to generic competency models. Teams thrive when leaders amplify these “spikes”.
Buckingham and Goodall debunk culture as a universal fix (Lie #1), showing employees care more about immediate team dynamics than corporate values. Great teams—not company-wide initiatives—drive engagement and performance.
Replacing the myth of work-life balance (Lie #8), “love-in-work” means crafting roles around employees’ passions. The authors urge individuals to shape generic jobs into personalized missions over time.
The book rejects standardized leadership models (Lie #9), arguing effective leaders leverage idiosyncratic strengths rather than follow generic traits. Leadership emerges from authentic, unique contributions.
Findings draw from ADP Research Institute data, Cisco’s team analytics, and global workplace studies. The authors analyzed top/bottom performers across industries to identify patterns in engagement and productivity.
It expands on his strengths philosophy by addressing systemic workplace flaws. While First, Break All the Rules focused on individual potential, this book tackles organizational structures hindering that potential.
Some argue its radical stance on feedback or goal-setting may oversimplify complex organizations. However, its evidence-driven approach and real-world examples counterbalance theoretical objections.
저자의 목소리로 책을 느껴보세요
지식을 흥미롭고 예시가 풍부한 인사이트로 전환
핵심 아이디어를 빠르게 캡처하여 신속하게 학습
재미있고 매력적인 방식으로 책을 즐기세요
People don't care which company they work for; they care about who they work with.
Plans created far from the front lines quickly become obsolete.
Trust can never emerge from secrecy; frequency creates safety.
Sales goals don't create more sales; they merely predict them.
Your team is the most important workplace context.
Nine Lies About Work의 핵심 아이디어를 이해하기 쉬운 포인트로 분해하여 혁신적인 팀이 어떻게 창조하고, 협력하고, 성장하는지 이해합니다.
Nine Lies About Work을 빠른 기억 단서로 압축하여 솔직함, 팀워크, 창의적 회복력의 핵심 원칙을 강조합니다.

생생한 스토리텔링을 통해 Nine Lies About Work을 경험하고, 혁신 교훈을 기억에 남고 적용할 수 있는 순간으로 바꿉니다.
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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.