Book Keeping with Lisa - How To Work With Complicated People by Ryan Leak Book Review

July 09, 2025

Lisa Parker

How To Work With Complicated People – Strategies for effective collaboration with (nearly) everyone – by Ryan Leak

Ryan Leak draws you in with a magnetic book title – who doesn’t deal with complicated people? So you grab this book only to learn this was a loss leader, a plot twist, the ol’ switcheroo…and you twirl around to face a mirror (which actually helps you pull the log out of your own eye). Then Ryan goes on to say that these Complicated People actually can help you change for the better – and in his wonderful step-by-step approach, he walks you through the wonderful world of complicated people (of which you are one of them too) and shows us the way through – on to the other side - in a delightful journey through the land of people living their lives and working together.

Wonderful stories that make us understand that people – “are not problems to be solved rather humans to be understood.” Where we then see the magic that is the mess – “in their mess, in our mess, and in the beauty we could create if we learned to mess things up together.” Here is the gist of it all – “Everyone has a story and sometimes the people we label as complicated are just waiting for the right moment to share theirs. When we create environments where people feel safe enough to be vulnerable and honest, we unlock a whole new level of connection and understanding.” Even if that person never changes, you change and that could make all the difference.

An eye-opening book of how we view the world and how we believe that people mess with our world – they hurt our feelings, they do things differently, they are slower than we would like, they disrupt our plans…and we call them complicated. Ryan walks us up step by step into a new way of thinking and looking at how we can use this information to grow, to be better for ourselves and be better in our workplace.

Complicated turns to Communication which adds to Collaboration and leads to Curiosity – and curiosity is your superpower! The very thing you shy away from could lead to the very thing that makes you and your workplace better. Ryan runs the gamut with his examples and ways in which you can grow. The 5 People Q’s and the Age Difference in the workplace plus speaking up, down, and across – and how to disagree in a healthy manner. Then he wraps up his book dealing with the (nearly) people. He adds this great reminder – “remember, if you’re going to work with people, flawed ones are your only option.” So, get out and know your co-workers. When people hear your story and you hear theirs, you have a whole new understanding, and you can unleash your curiosity superpower.

To learn more about Ryan Leak's keynotes and bringing him in to speak for your next event visit profile: https://premierespeakers.com/speakers/ryan-leak