“Stop Hiring Jerks”: Mark Murphy’s Mission to Fix Broken Workplaces

Cut The Tie | Define Success on Your Own Terms

Cut The Tie Podcast with Thomas Helfrich

Leadership expert and researcher Mark Murphy joins Thomas for a sharp, data-driven conversation about leadership development, why most hiring practices fail, and how to cut ties with assumptions that hold organizations—and individuals—back. Mark shares his journey from following conventional wisdom to questioning it, uncovering insights that help leaders grow faster and smarter.

About Mark Murphy:

Mark is the founder of Leadership IQ, a research and training company focused on leadership science. He’s the bestselling author of Hiring for Attitude, Managing Narcissists, Blamers, Dramatics and More, and Hard Goals. Mark’s work combines practical strategies with data-backed insights to help leaders and organizations perform at higher levels.

In this episode, Thomas and Mark discuss:

• Cutting the Tie to Existence Bias
  Mark reveals how he challenged the belief that "we’ve always done it this way" — leading to breakthrough research on why new hires fail.
• Managing Narcissists and Toxic Employees
  Mark shares practical advice from his books on how to spot and manage difficult personalities before and after they join your team.
• The "Why" That Changes Everything
  He explains how simply questioning assumptions—and asking "why" more often—unlocks hidden opportunities for growth and improvement.
• How Research Changes Leadership
  Mark discusses how applying rigorous research to hiring, managing, and developing people reveals better paths to building high-performing teams.

Key Takeaways:

• Question Assumptions Relentlessly
  Growth and innovation start by challenging what "everyone knows" but no one questions.
• Attitude Trumps Skill
  In hiring, attitude predicts success far more reliably than skills on a resume.
• You’re Always Learning or You're Falling Behind
  The minute you think you’ve figured it all out, you’re vulnerable to stagnation and disruption.
• Culture Fit Requires Clarity
  Good hiring isn’t about personality tests—it’s about understanding your true culture and screening for it intentionally.

"The minute you think you've got it all figured out is the minute you're done growing."
— Mark Murphy

CONNECT WITH MARK MURPHY:

Website: https://www.leadershipiq.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markamurphy/

CONNECT WITH THOMAS:

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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@cutthetie
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomashelfrich/
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Chapters

1. Introduction to Mark Murphy (00:00:00)

2. Cutting Ties with Conventional Wisdom (00:01:28)

3. The Hiring for Attitude Breakthrough (00:04:51)

4. Life Impact of Challenging Assumptions (00:07:11)

5. Digging Beyond Superficial Appearances (00:10:40)

6. Business Advice and Starting Over (00:14:19)

7. Solving the Toxic Hire Problem (00:18:28)

8. Episode Closing and Call to Action (00:21:26)