📚 Books
🔹 Crucial Conversations by Patterson, Grenny, McMillan, and Switzler — A foundational guide to high-stakes conversations—especially when emotions are high and opinions differ.
🔹 The Thin Book of Trust by Charles Feltman — Short, practical, and powerful—explores how trust is built and broken in professional relationships.
🔹 Dare to Lead by Brené Brown — Focuses on courage, vulnerability, and setting boundaries in leadership.
🔹 Thanks for the Feedback by Douglas Stone & Sheila Heen— Excellent for understanding how to receive and respond to tough feedback—and how to navigate emotionally charged interactions.
🔹 The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni — Classic leadership fable that explores breakdowns in team dynamics—particularly useful when discussing rogue behavior or conflict avoidance.
🎧 Podcasts
🔹 The Look & Sound of Leadership by Tom Henschel — Short, highly practical episodes on communication, conflict resolution, and executive presence. Great for real-world leadership moments.
Recommended episodes:
- “Disagreeing Without Being Disagreeable”
- “Managing Conflict”
- “Handling Difficult Conversations”
🔹 Dare to Lead with Brené Brown — Episodes focus on real leadership challenges, navigating difference, and values-based decision making.
Recommended episodes:
- “Brené with Adam Grant on Languishing, Re-thinking, and Mental Health at Work”
- “Courageous Leadership”
🔹 Coaching for Leaders by Dave Stachowiak — Especially helpful for tools and frameworks around influence, accountability, and difficult personalities.
🎥 YouTube / TED Talks
🔹 “How to Deal with Difficult People” – Chris Voss (Former FBI negotiator) — Tactical empathy, mirroring, and de-escalation—all highly relevant to leadership conflict moments.
[Search: Chris Voss difficult people]
🔹 “The Power of Vulnerability” – Brené Brown (TEDx) — A cornerstone talk about trust, culture, and courageous leadership.
[Search: Brené Brown TED Power of Vulnerability]
🔹 “Everyday Leadership” – Drew Dudley (TEDx) — Short, funny, and memorable—great cultural reminder that leadership happens in small moments.
[Search: Drew Dudley Everyday Leadership]
🔹 “Lead Like the Great Conductors” – Itay Talgam (TED Talk) — For a different lens on leadership styles, conflict, and harmony. Beautiful metaphor for managing strong personalities.
[Search: Itay Talgam TED Leadership]
📄 Articles / Blogs / Other Resources
🔹 Harvard Business Review articles:
- “What to Do When a Team Member Undermines You”
- “How to Deal With a Toxic Co-worker”
- “When to Speak Up at Work, and When to Let It Go”
(These can be found at hbr.org — often a few articles can be read for free each month.)
🔹 BoardSource Resources — Great nonprofit and association-specific resource (PDFs and toolkits available at boardsource.org). Some great resources for Governance and Acocuntability:
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The Board Chair Handbook – A practical, trusted guide for chairs handling difficult members, meeting disruption, and governance challenges.
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Board Member Codes of Conduct and Ethics – Outlines standards and enforcement mechanisms for addressing unacceptable member behavior.
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Board‑Staff Partnership: What’s Acceptable & What’s Not? – Advice on handling board members who overstep authority or disrespect staff.
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Recommended Board Practices – Governance frameworks that underpin clear roles, accountability, and norms for conduct.
🔹 How to Deal with Difficult Co-Workers in a Constructive Way, on MasterClass —