Mary C. Murphy

“Every gathering of people has a mindset culture. Yet the reality is that most organizations have no idea what their mindset culture is, or how it influences the group and their outcomes,” says Dr. Mary C. Murphy, award-winning social psychologist. But when we recognize the importance of having an environment that promotes a growth mindset, we can begin to build that culture and help everyone thrive.

In her groundbreaking original research, Mary investigates the differences between “Cultures of Genius” and “Cultures of Growth.” In Cultures of Genius, which correspond to a fixed mindset, you either have it or you don’t. These cultures value brilliance and smarts over everything else, which makes it difficult for someone to grow, innovate, and take risks. Cultures of Growth, on the other hand, correspond to a growth mindset—those who succeed are highly motivated about learning and developing their abilities, believing that ability can be enhanced through good strategy and organizational supports. And the best part is that any culture can shift towards a Culture of Growth, empowering all individuals to benefit from their growth mindset, and increasing collaboration, innovation, resilience, and more.

In Mary’s revolutionary business book, Cultures of Growth, she illuminates not only how to recognize these two different kinds of environments, but also how to move your organization towards an environment where everyone is empowered to make a valuable contribution. She offers practical exercises and strategies that anyone can use, drawn from her work with Fortune 500 companies, startups, and schools. Financial Times named Cultures of Growth one of the best summer business books of 2024. Forbes calls it “a must-read for business leaders, educators, coaches, and anyone who wants to improve their group endeavors’ performance and satisfaction.” The book includes a foreword by growth mindset pioneer Carol Dweck, and has been lauded by grit pioneer Angela Duckworth.

Mary is the Herman B. Wells Endowed Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Indiana University, founding Director of the Summer Institute on Diversity at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University, and founder and CEO of the Equity Accelerator: a research and consulting organization that works with schools and companies to create more equitable learning and working environments through social and behavioral science. She conducts pioneering research on motivation, performance, and intergroup relations. Among many other awards, she was named a Rising Star by the Association for Psychological Science (APS) and received the 2019 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (the highest award bestowed on early career scholars by the US government). Her work is funded by many federal and foundation grants, including an NSF CAREER award for her research on strategies to improve the range of voices in STEM fields. Her research has been profiled in The New York Times, Forbes, Harvard Business Review, Scientific American, and NPR, among other outlets.