Dealing with Difficult People

Learn how to deal with difficult colleagues and clients.

At the heart of dealing with difficult people is handling their—and your own—emotions. How do you stay calm in a tough conversation? How do you stay unruffled in the face of passive-aggressive comments? And how do you know if you're difficult to work with?

This book explains the research behind our emotional response to awful colleagues and shows how to build the empathy and resilience to make those relationships more productive.

Books in this series are based on the work of experts including Daniel Goleman, Tony Schwartz, Nick Morgan, and Daniel Gilbert.

This collection of articles includes "To Resolve a Conflict, First Decide: Is It Hot or Cold?" by Mark Gerzon; "Taking the Stress Out of Stressful Conversations," by Holly Weeks; "The Secret to Dealing with Difficult People: It's About You," by Tony Schwartz; "How to Deal with a Mean Colleague," by Amy Gallo; "How To Deal with a Passive-Aggressive Colleague," by Amy Gallo; "How to Work with Someone Who's Always Stressed Out," by Rebecca Knight; "How to Manage Someone Who Thinks Everything Is Urgent," by Liz Kislik; and "Do You Hate Your Boss?" by Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries.


  1. 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

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  2. 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
  3. HBR's 10 Must Reads on Managing People, Updated and Expanded (featuring "Are You a Good Boss--or a Great One?" by Linda A. Hill and Kent Lineback)

    Harvard Harvard Business Review, Daniel Goleman, Linda A. Hill, Tsedal Neeley, Marcus Buckingham

    audiobook
  4. Psychological Safety

    Harvard Harvard Business Review, Amy C. Edmondson, Daisy Auger-Domínguez, Erica Keswin, Ron Carucci

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  5. HBR Guide to Your Professional Growth

    Harvard Harvard Business Review

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  6. 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
  7. HBR Guide to Emotional Intelligence

    Harvard Harvard Business Review

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  8. Curiosity

    Harvard Harvard Business Review

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  9. Authenticity, Identity, and Being Yourself at Work

    Harvard Harvard Business Review

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  10. Boundaries, Priorities, and Finding Work-Life Balance

    Harvard Harvard Business Review

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  11. Generative AI : The Insights You Need from Harvard Business Review

    Harvard Harvard Business Review

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  12. HBR's 10 Must Reads 2017 : The Definitive Management Ideas of the Year from Harvard Business Review

    Harvard Harvard Business Review, Clayton M. Christensen, Adam Grant, Vijay Govindarajan, Thomas H Davenport

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