Making Real Connections

Relationships built on trust matter.

Deep and meaningful interpersonal connections at work are critical to your career—and to your well-being. Bonds built on trust allow women to help one another, exchange information, and be more productive. But high-quality professional relationships are only possible with emotional openness—and not all women feel they can be vulnerable enough in the office to develop these kinds of ties.

Making Real Connections explores the many ways that our working relationships with other women are usually amazing—and sometimes messy. This book will inspire you to: find more authentic ways to grow your network; seek out a sponsor—or become one; get the most out of professional conferences; enjoy the rewards of having real friends at work; navigate problems when work relationships become draining; and connect in ways that are more natural, less transactional.

The HBR Women at Work series spotlights the real challenges and opportunities women experience throughout their careers. With interviews from the popular podcast of the same name and related articles, stories, and research, these books provide inspiration and advice for taking on topics at work like inequity, advancement, and building community. Featuring detailed discussion guides, this series will help you spark important conversations about where we're at and how to move forward.


  1. The Year in Tech, 2026 : The Insights You Need from Harvard Business Review

    Harvard Harvard Business Review, Scott D. Anthony, Amy Webb, José Parra-Moyano, Christina Shim

    audiobook
  2. HBR's 10 Must Reads on Change Management, Updated and Expanded (featuring "Leading Change" by John P. Kotter)

    Harvard Harvard Business Review, John P. Kotter, Frances Frei, Vijay Govindarajan, Antonio Nieto-Rodriguez

    audiobook
  3. HBR's 10 Must Reads on Strategy, Updated and Expanded (featuring "The Five Competitive Forces That Shape Strategy" by Michael E. Porter)

    Harvard Harvard Business Review

    audiobook
  4. HBR's 10 Must Reads on Emotional Intelligence, Updated and Expanded (featuring "What Makes a Leader" by Daniel Goleman)

    Harvard Harvard Business Review

    audiobook
  5. HBR's 10 Must Reads on High Performance, Updated and Expanded (featuring "Nine Things Successful People Do Differently" by Heidi Grant)

    Harvard Harvard Business Review

    audiobook
  6. HBR's 10 Must Reads on Mental Toughness, Updated and Expanded (featuring "How to Stop Worrying About What Other People Think of You" by Michael Gervais)

    Harvard Harvard Business Review, Michael Gervais, Angela L. Duckworth, Martin E. P. Seligman, Herminia Ibarra

    audiobook
  7. HBR 10 Must Reads on Leading Winning Teams

    Harvard Harvard Business Review

    audiobook
  8. HBR's 10 Must Reads on Leadership Lessons from Sports : (featuring interviews with Sir Alex Ferguson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Andre Agassi)

    Harvard Harvard Business Review, Alex Ferguson, Bill Parcells, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Joe Girardi

    audiobook
  9. HBR Guide to Being More Productive

    Harvard Harvard Business Review

    audiobook
  10. Having Difficult Conversations

    Harvard Harvard Business Review

    audiobook
  11. Managing Overthinking

    Harvard Harvard Business Review

    audiobook
  12. HBR's 10 Must Reads on Leadership for Healthcare : (with bonus article by Thomas H. Lee, MD, and Toby Cosgrove, MD)

    Harvard Harvard Business Review, Thomas H. Lee, Daniel Goleman, Peter F. Drucker, John P. Kotter

    audiobook