Articles
141 articles
The Next Conversation by Jefferson Fisher is a practical playbook for hard conversations. I use the techniques already. If you liked Crucial Conversations but wanted someone to tell you what to say in the next thirty seconds, start here.
Nonviolent Communication by Marshall Rosenberg is a classic four-step language for saying the hard thing without attack. Observation, feeling, need, request. Simple. I still skip the first step most days.
Thanks for the Feedback by Douglas Stone and Sheila Heen is the missing half of Difficult Conversations. Most books teach you how to give feedback. This one teaches you how to hear it without flinching, arguing, or quietly dying inside.
Getting to Yes by Roger Fisher, William Ury, and Bruce Patton is still the negotiation book every leader is quietly quoting. Separate people from the problem. Focus on interests, not positions. Know your BATNA before you walk in.
The Culture Map by Erin Meyer is the book I wish I’d had before my first global programme. Eight scales that explain why your 'clear' email landed as rude, and their 'polite' silence was a no.
Humble Inquiry by Edgar Schein is a short book I have recommended for years. Ask questions you don’t already know the answer to. Stop telling people their own problem. I still fail it weekly.
We Need to Talk by Celeste Headlee is the book version of her TED talk. Ten rules for a better conversation, and a diagnosis I didn’t want: I pontificate, I equate my story with yours, and I listen to reply.
Just Listen by Mark Goulston is a psychiatrist’s field guide for getting through to anyone — including the person in your one-to-one who has already shut down. Feeling felt is the move. Fixing is my addiction.
What Got You Here Won't Get You There by Marshall Goldsmith is a list of twenty interpersonal behaviours that got you promoted and will now get you stuck. Winning too much. Adding too much value. Failing to listen. I do several of them before lunch.
Dare to Lead by Brené Brown is the leadership book that made 'clear is kind, unclear is unkind' a line I use in almost every hard conversation. Vulnerability is not oversharing. It’s staying in the room when you can’t control the outcome.
If you’ve ever felt trapped in corporate life, Corporate Escapology by Adam Forbes is a must-read. It’s for leaders who want more autonomy, creativity, and fulfilment in their work—without necessarily quitting their jobs.
How to Know Everything by Elke Wiss is a compelling guide to mastering the art of asking questions, rooted in Socratic philosophy. This book is an excellent entry for leaders who want to foster deeper conversations, encourage critical thinking, and build collaborative environments.