Kindle
$14.81
Available instantly
Audible Logo Audiobook
$0.00
with membership trial
Hardcover
$15.59
Paperback
$25.67
Buy new:
-48% $15.59
FREE delivery Friday, May 17 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Ships from: Amazon.com
Sold by: Amazon.com
$15.59 with 48 percent savings
List Price: $30.00

The List Price is the suggested retail price of a new product as provided by a manufacturer, supplier, or seller. Except for books, Amazon will display a List Price if the product was purchased by customers on Amazon or offered by other retailers at or above the List Price in at least the past 90 days. List prices may not necessarily reflect the product's prevailing market price.
Learn more
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
FREE delivery Friday, May 17 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35. Order within 8 hrs 9 mins
In Stock
$$15.59 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$15.59
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Ships from
Amazon.com
Ships from
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Returns
30-day easy returns
30-day easy returns
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Returns
30-day easy returns
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Payment
Secure transaction
Your transaction is secure
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Payment
Secure transaction
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
$10.95
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
FREE delivery May 23 - 29 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Or fastest delivery May 21 - 23
$$15.59 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$15.59
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the authors

Marcus Buckingham
+ Follow
Ashley Goodall
+ Follow
See all
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Nine Lies About Work: A Freethinking Leader’s Guide to the Real World Hardcover – April 2, 2019

by Marcus Buckingham (Author), Ashley Goodall (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 1,049 ratings
See all formats and editions
Great on Kindle
Great Experience. Great Value.
iphone with kindle app
Putting our best book forward
Each Great on Kindle book offers a great reading experience, at a better value than print to keep your wallet happy.

Explore your book, then jump right back to where you left off with Page Flip.

View high quality images that let you zoom in to take a closer look.

Enjoy features only possible in digital – start reading right away, carry your library with you, adjust the font, create shareable notes and highlights, and more.

Discover additional details about the events, people, and places in your book, with Wikipedia integration.
Get the free Kindle app: Link to the kindle app page Link to the kindle app page
Enjoy a great reading experience when you buy the Kindle edition of this book. Learn more about Great on Kindle, available in select categories.
View Kindle Edition
{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$15.59","priceAmount":15.59,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"15","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"59","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"BmA2bbsVnjV0%2F70heeVh9JQuxJSIVrGjXOBAdI9QVXkiRsMjThyEeUUwsraAAjDaONuzn0MAjePxSSQSUmY4to4NVbL%2BcS5mGbL6welfRmjNbi9X3IoNNeyYOuyVtIupnZdQn2ORaE2JwbNitSe71Q%3D%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$10.95","priceAmount":10.95,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"10","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"95","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"BmA2bbsVnjV0%2F70heeVh9JQuxJSIVrGjf87RBrhSn2TF0l0nZCsgrWIyS9m%2FxlnB6MTL%2Bg45BEb2QycbApLKyZJu%2FP3KTIuqeaQC3%2Ba3WfQF0MyjYZ%2BwssBVhV4rLbXFoqY2dzS%2FYMBZYyjApCshH1kaQrkqWwAeR5jv2EEiUSxPLhY2Dii0T%2FiZyddUP5s5","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

Forget what you know about the world of work

You crave feedback. Your organization's culture is the key to its success. Strategic planning is essential. Your competencies should be measured and your weaknesses shored up. Leadership is a thing.

These may sound like basic truths of our work lives today. But actually, they're lies. As strengths guru and bestselling author Marcus Buckingham and Cisco Leadership and Team Intelligence head Ashley Goodall show in this provocative, inspiring book, there are some big lies--distortions, faulty assumptions, wrong thinking--that we encounter every time we show up for work. Nine lies, to be exact. They cause dysfunction and frustration, ultimately resulting in workplaces that are a pale shadow of what they could be.

But there are those who can get past the lies and discover what's real. These freethinking leaders recognize the power and beauty of our individual uniqueness. They 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 matter most; that we should focus less 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, as it is and as it should be. Nine Lies About Work reveals the few core truths that will help you show just how good you are to those who truly rely on you.

Read more Read less
Previous page
  1. Print length
    256 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Harvard Business Review Press
  4. Publication date
    April 2, 2019
  5. Dimensions
    6 x 1 x 9.5 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1633696308
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1633696303
  8. See all details
Next page
Amazon First Reads | Editors' picks at exclusive prices

Frequently bought together

Nine Lies About Work: A Freethinking Leader’s Guide to the Real World
$15.59
Get it as soon as Friday, May 17
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
+
Love and Work: How to Find What You Love, Love What You Do, and Do It for the Rest of Your Life
$15.59
Get it as soon as Friday, May 17
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
+
First, Break All the Rules: What the World's Greatest Managers Do Differently
$20.49
Get it as soon as Friday, May 17
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
Total price:
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Details
Added to Cart
Choose items to buy together.

From the Publisher

workplace, leadership, management, talent, feedback

leadership, management, strategy, talent

feedback, management, leadership, talent

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Nine Lies About Work, by Marcus Buckingham and Ashley Goodall, the year's best management book, challenges the assumptions that underlie contemporary managerial practices, many of which date back to Drucker's day. In doing so, the book offers a glimpse of a new management paradigm that may prove to be better suited to the times." -- strategy+business magazine

Named one of "Our 10 favorite new books for people managers" by SHRM (Society for Human Resource Managers)

One of the Financial Times "Business Books of the Month"

Named a Bloomberg Businessweek pick

Named one of "14 business books everyone will be reading in 2019" by Business Insider

Named one of "10 Leadership Books to Watch for in 2019" by the Washington Post

Named one of "10 Business Books You Need to Read in 2019" by Inc. magazine

Named one of "The 19 New Leadership Books to Read in 2019" by Adam Grant on LinkedIn

"Nine Lies is utterly readable, often entertaining, and not just polite, but carefully reasoned and argued using some unusual real-world examples and even some from literature." - Human Resource Executive (hrexecutive.com)

"leads to some free thinking about the way we do our jobs and how we can approach what we do in a different way." -- Financial Times

"If a business book teaches me something new--and offers a fresh perspective on leadership--then I know it's a rare find in the category. Nine Lies About Work is just such a book. It's so thought provoking, I contacted the authors to speak with them directly." -- Forbes

"…should be on every boss's bookshelf." -- Management Today

"a stimulating, no-nonsense, research-based look at things you likely believe that aren't true – and how to apply the new findings." -- The Globe and Mail

"The act of work is human. Leading and following and working together is about human interaction and human relationships. The workplace, and the marketplace beyond it, is about emotions and attention and the desire to be seen. It is about trust and, yes, it is about love. I am always grateful to be reminded of that, to see it again clearly, to have it acknowledged. Nine Lies About Work is a great reminder, and a great guide." -- 800 CEO READ

"Give a copy of this book to everyone in your organization who's leading a team and make it essential reading." -- The Hamilton Spectator

"If you're looking for a refreshing read that challenges the conventional wisdom of the business world, this is a book for your shelf." -- TD magazine (Association for Talent Development)

"There is much we can learn about managing and leading our schools from its pages." -- Inside Higher Ed

Advance Praise for Nine Lies About Work:

In today's complex world, we instinctively seek simplicity. But in many cases, it's easier to lie to ourselves than it is to face the harsh reality--to see more of what want to see than how things really are. In Nine Lies About Work, Marcus Buckingham and Ashley Goodall shine a light on just how dangerous those lies can be, especially in the context of our careers. Combining engaging stories about the modern workplace with nuanced quantitative analysis, Nine Lies About Work debunks the myths that surround leadership, planning, and balance in the corporate world. Everyone who reads this book is sure to be a better employee, but more importantly, a better leader. -- Gen. Stan McChrystal (Ret’d), United States Army

About the Author

Marcus Buckingham is a global researcher and thought leader focused on unlocking people's strengths, increasing their performance, and pioneering the future of how people work. He is head of all people and performance research at the ADP Research Institute and the author of several bestselling books, including StandOut 2.0: Assess Your Strengths, Find Your Edge, Win at Work (Harvard Business Review Press).

Ashley Goodall is Senior Vice President of Leadership and Team Intelligence at Cisco. Previously he was Director and Chief Learning Officer, Leader Development, at Deloitte. He is the coauthor, with Marcus Buckingham, of two Harvard Business Review cover stories, "Reinventing Performance Management," in April 2015 and "The Feedback Fallacy," in March/April 2019.

Change the world of work. Join the coalition: freethinkingleader.org

Author social media/website info:
Buckingham: MarcusBuckingham.com, @mwbuckingham
Goodall: linkedin.com/in/ashleygoodall/, @littleplatoons

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harvard Business Review Press; First Edition (April 2, 2019)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 256 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1633696308
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1633696303
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.15 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1 x 9.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 1,049 ratings

About the authors

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Previous page
  1. Marcus Buckingham

    Marcus Buckingham

    Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    Marcus Buckingham is a global researcher and the world’s authority on what the most effective leaders and highest-performing people do differently. He is the New York Times best-selling author of two of the most popular business books of all time, First, Break All the Rules, and Now, Discover Your Strengths. Marcus’ 2019 Harvard Business Review cover article, "The Feedback Fallacy," was recently selected by HBR as one of the most influential articles of the last 100 years. Marcus is the creator of the StandOut strengths assessment and the co-creator of StrengthsFinder - his strengths assessments have been completed by over 25 million people worldwide.

    Building on two decades of experience as a Senior Researcher at The Gallup Organization, he leveraged his data-based discoveries to build a $100 million tech company focused on helping people find and contribute their strengths at work. Beginning with First, Break All the Rules, and continuing through his latest book Love and Work (Harvard Business Review Publishing, April 5th, 2022) he is known for using reliable psychometric data to get to the core of what drives engagement, resilience, and productivity. He currently guides the research agenda of the ADP Research Institute as Head of People + Performance.

    See more on the author's page
  2. Ashley Goodall

    Ashley Goodall

    Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    I’m an executive, leadership expert, and author, and have spent my career exploring large organizations from the inside. I look for the lessons from the real world that help people and teams thrive, and that make work a more human place for all of the humans in it.

    I’m the co-author, with Marcus Buckingham, of Nine Lies About Work: A Freethinking Leader’s Guide to the Real World (Harvard Business Review Press, April 2019), and of two cover stories in the Harvard Business Review: The Feedback Fallacy, (March/April 2019), and Reinventing Performance Management, (April 2015).

    My first experiences of teams and leadership were as a student musician and conductor. I was fascinated by the unspoken understanding between people playing together and carried this fascination into the corporate world. I currently serve as the Senior Vice President of Methods and Intelligence, the data and research engine behind all the people stuff at Cisco. This organization aims to reveal the answers to some of the most challenging questions about work. How can we measure the experience at work reliably? Of the things that we can measure, which matter most? And how can we take what matters most and embed it into our people practices and systems?

    Prior to this, I led Cisco's Leadership and Team Intelligence organization, which was focused entirely on serving teams and team leaders.

    I live in Montclair, NJ with my wife and son. Music has been inside me for as long as I can remember. I revel in the rhythms of words, songs, and human interactions. I look for humor in everyday situations. I love what makes people weird.

    You can connect with me on LinkedIn, Twitter (@littleplatoons), or Instagram (@ashley_goodall). And if you’re someone who believes, as I do, that work can be better, for all of us, than it is today, then join The Freethinking Leader Coalition to learn more at freethinkingleader.org.

    See more on the author's page
Next page

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
1,049 global ratings
So powerful, profound and impactful!
5 Stars
So powerful, profound and impactful!
I've been listening to this book and there isn't a chapter, idea or study that hasn't blown my mind! It's so counter culture, so opposite from what we're told we need to be doing and ARE doing! Who knew that negative feedback makes you go into fight or flight, your 'smart' and creative brain shuts down and if this happens often enough, your ability to climb out of 'bad' performance actually decreases?!? It's so logical, I'm not sure why it's escaped us before now! If more people in leadership would listen and adopt these theories, our productivity and engagement in the workplace would soar!!
Hide
Thank you for your feedback
Sorry, there was an error
Sorry we couldn't load the review

Top reviews from the United States

S. Friedenthal
5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely a fantastic read. This is the "Secret Sauce" to Cisco's Success
Reviewed in the United States on August 21, 2019
Verified Purchase
I love this book. I ordered it with some curiosity, but was prepared to have drudge through another tendentious read stating the author's opinions withe little to back them up. Instead, i found I couldn't put it down! This book is fantastically quantitative, with references and well-researched studies to make its conclusions. And, the authors present their ideas with humor and a lightness of touch that made it a simply enjoyable read.
I recall another person's negative review and how that person took aim at a chapter that, according to the reviewer, afforded Messi's success in soccer entirely to his left foot as if it was as disembodied appendage. So, I was forewarned and looked for that chapter, ready to see what inane idea was being presented. And, instead, I found the chapter on Messi incredibly relevant and interesting and realized that the reviewer had completely missed the point! It isn't that Messi's success is just due to his "foot". No, their point was that the common wisdom (the "Lie" if you will) that we should all be well-rounded was proven false by the fact that Lionel Messi is one of the best soccer players to hit the pitch precisely because he isn't "well rounded" -- his right foot skills lag significantly to his left. But, by focusing on his strengths and making them stronger -- that is why he is successful.
In another chapter they take aim at a commonly misunderstood study on the "wisdom of crowds" and to my great delight, not only show why that study is so often misapplied, but also included a calculation of the number of atoms in a typical Ox. Which, for those who care, I double-checked and I got almost the identical result, which when dealing with numbers on the order of 10^28 is quite amazing.
If you want to understand what makes Cisco a compelling place to work and grow, this is a great place to start.
15 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Roger1
5.0 out of 5 stars Possibly the best leadership how-to guide ever written
Reviewed in the United States on April 15, 2019
Verified Purchase
Leadership is widely praised and poorly practiced. Worse, we often equate leadership with management, a serious mistake. Buckingham and Goodal do a superb job of exposing what many of us already suspected -- all that corporate mumbo-jumbo about culture, planning, performance reviews, and other attempts to exert control aren't just baloney; they're counter-productive. What is actually effective are teams, and leading a team doesn't require as much magic as is commonly believed. In fact, these guys present an almost step-by-step roadmap for successful leadership, and do so in an easily readable and fun book. Importantly, their prescription is backed up by an almost obsolete concept: facts based on research. What they don't cover are the basic traits required to be a superb leader, but Marcus has addressed those in his previous books. Will this book change the dismal way in which corporations treat employees? Nope. But it might result in more highly successful teams. As the authors point out, that turns out to be far more important than the corporate PR nonsense.
40 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
McKinley Cantor
4.0 out of 5 stars Confirmed!
Reviewed in the United States on December 19, 2019
Verified Purchase
I was a Supervisor/Principal in a past company and am seeing my current Supervisor/Principal struggle aimlessly on a day to day basis. I therefore bought this book to see if I was out of step with a current work place or if my supervisor/company culture was out of step with what I had come to expect from a modern work place. After reading this book, it turns out my ideas of how competency models, evaluations, supervisor attitude and workplace morale are used and evaluated for the betterment of the company were right! There are obviously many untrained, out of date, cynical and un-mentored directors and supervisors in many work places. Unfortunately, they are also the most prideful who cannot accept help, when offered. Knowing what is helpful for a workplace is great knowledge, however being able to inculcate this into an existing culture with stagnant, obstinate and experientially inbred supervisors can be very frustrating. The only think lacking in this book is teaching people how to improve a workplace they are not a current leader in. My next purchase will need to be one on ways to manipulate someone (in a good way, of course!) to do something they may not do otherwise. This book is a great addition to my workplace skills library-now if only my boss would accept my offer of loaning to to him to read!
4 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Reg.
5.0 out of 5 stars This book challenges your belief
Reviewed in the United States on May 8, 2022
Verified Purchase
“Lie” is quite a strong & exaggerating word which is used in this book. However, the author has perfectly brought this to our attention. This book will challenge your belief, and all so-called classic theories/ best advice in all-time best-selling books. At first I was confused, but the more I read, the more I realize it is so authentic & practical in this real world. Warnings: This book can give you a slap in your face, for your wake-up.
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
Guillermo R.
5.0 out of 5 stars Imprescindible
Reviewed in Spain on November 4, 2023
Verified Purchase
Está lleno de reflexiones trascendentales.
Report
K. Briscoe
5.0 out of 5 stars No nonsense
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 3, 2023
Verified Purchase
Nice book to read. It validates what you are experiencing as a middle manager vs what you are being told.
One person found this helpful
 Report
Christoph M.
5.0 out of 5 stars Praxisnahe Ansätze zur Arbeitsplatzkultur
Reviewed in Germany on April 13, 2023
Verified Purchase
Die Autoren stellen die konventionelle Weisheit und gängige Praktiken im heutigen Arbeitsumfeld in Frage und schlagen alternative Perspektiven vor, um Leistung und Engagement im Berufsleben zu verbessern.

Zu den Mythen zählt z. B., dass Menschen Feedback benötigen, etc.
Sehr erfrischende Darstellung und Aufarbeitung. Ganz klare Leseempfehlung.
Report
CA aakash.k
5.0 out of 5 stars Worth reading
Reviewed in India on November 7, 2022
Verified Purchase
Worth
Report
Cliente de Amazon
5.0 out of 5 stars Muy buen libro. Lo recomiendo para que somos managers
Reviewed in Mexico on March 22, 2020
Verified Purchase
Me gustó mucho este libro. Contradice algunos conceptos muy usados actualmente sobre management, y que tienen mucho sentido para los que trabajamos en este campo. Muchas veces lo que escuchamos sobre las diferentes teorías no parece aplicable en la vida real.
Report