How to Work with Complicated People

Strategies for Effective Collaboration with (Nearly) Anyone

By: Ryan Leak

Narrated by: Ryan Leak

Bestselling author and transformational speaker Ryan Leak shares research-based strategies for working with even the most challenging people to create more collaborative and productive teams.

Who is the most complicated person you work with?

You probably don’t have to think very hard to answer that question. You already know their name, their job title, their quirks, and their flaws. You have firsthand experience with the mental and emotional fallout they leave in their wake. You’ve seen the problems their complexity creates for everyone on their team. You wish you could fix them, solve them, ignore them, or teleport them to a parallel dimension.

But you can’t.

You have to work with them.

(You could quit, but your next job will have a complicated person waiting for you.)

That means you need effective strategies to collaborate with (nearly) anyone. Especially the picky, prickly, problematic ones.

Drawing from his global consulting experience with teams and leaders from the glitz of sports and entertainment, to the number-crunching world of finance, to the meticulous realms of insurance, pharma, and manufacturing, Ryan Leak provides proven strategies for…

• Seeing challenging individuals as human beings to understand rather than problems to solve
• Detoxing unrealistic expectations and getting comfortable with complicated
• Learning to communicate effectively in complex environments
• Embracing healthy disagreement as a tool to discover better solutions
• Setting boundaries that let people into your world without letting them run your world

“The process of learning to collaborate with difficult individuals is transformative—it’s a gateway to greater creativity, stronger teams, and increased productivity,” Leak explains. “On the other side of complicated is the wonderful, wide-open world of effective collaboration and a workplace you love.”

©2025 Ryan Leak (P)2025 Maxwell Leadership

I’m complicated

Learning more about me is key! I get it. Look inwards before attempting to label/call another person “complicated” because my point of view maybe causing things to become “complicated”.

Everything

It’s a great book. I’m gonna listen to it again, it helps me to overcome the things I already went through

Very valuable for all aspects of life

Phenomenal! Love it and will listen to it multiple times. It was very applicable and enjoyable to listen to. Will recommend to friends

So practical and much needed in our world!

This book was very practical for me and it has really challenged me in my communication and processing of interactions.

The flow of the book was story and also action

Important for every aspect of life. Approachable and obtainable with key concepts which support teams, individuals and communities.