How to Work with Complicated People

In the workplace, dealing with complicated people comes with the territory. “Complicated” is a polite label for a grab bag of co-workers who are stubborn, arrogant, lazy, close-minded, negative, narcissistic — you name it. And according to research from executive coach Ryan Leak, they’re everywhere. Nearly half of American workers say that going to work means navigating interactions with complicated people daily, and many more face these challenges weekly.

Working with challenging personalities can take a toll, often resulting in stress, anger, depression, anxiety, sleep problems, and clinically diagnosed mental health impacts — sometimes severe enough to trigger suicidal ideation. According to research cited by Leak, half of all workers say they’d hate their job if they had to deal with complicated people daily — yet many do exactly that. To avoid these individuals, Leak says, some employees skip work, and more than 40% of American workers have quit a job to escape a difficult boss.