Sign-In
Cart
How to Deliver Bad News and Get Away with It: A Manager's Guide
Hardcover
Publisher Price: $22.95
Publisher: Greenleaf Book Group Press
Published: Jan 14 2025
Pages: 184
Weight: 0.75
Height: 0.90 Width: 5.60 Depth: 8.60
Language: English
A manager's guide to those unavoidable uncomfortable discussions
Delivering bad news is never easy, but there are ways to do it that minimize the pain for everyone involved. How to Deliver Bad News and Get Away with It shows business managers how to navigate these inevitable tough conversations using the best possible approaches.
Drawing from software executive Mahesh Guruswamy's personal experience, this practical guide walks you through delivering bad news to employees, stakeholders, customers, and even bosses. With humor and grace, it covers, among many other topics:
- How to talk to an employee about an improvement plan
- How to tell a client a project is delayed
- How to give your boss less-than-glowing feedback
- How to admit that you have to break a promise
Although there are many books on the inspirational side of leadership and how to lead effectively in general, few tackle the less-fun but critical topic of having the unpopular but necessary conversations all managers must have, making this book essential for any leader's library.
Also in
Management
Strong Ground: The Lessons of Daring Leadership, the Tenacity of Paradox, and the Wisdom of the Human Spirit
Brown, Brené
Hardcover
Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect
Guidara, Will
Hardcover
Hbr's 10 Must Reads on Mental Toughness (with Bonus Interview Post-Traumatic Growth and Building Resilience with Martin Seligman) (Hbr's 10 Must Reads
Seligman, Martin E. P.
Review, Harvard Business
Schwartz, Tony
Paperback
Hbr's 10 Must Reads on Managing Yourself (with Bonus Article How Will You Measure Your Life? by Clayton M. Christensen)
Review, Harvard Business
Drucker, Peter F.
Christensen, Clayton M.
Paperback
Hbr's 10 Must Reads on Mental Toughness, Updated and Expanded (Featuring How to Stop Worrying about What Other People Think of You by Michael Gervais)
Duckworth, Angela L.
Review, Harvard Business
Gervais, Michael
Paperback
Hbr's 10 Must Reads 2026: The Definitive Management Ideas of the Year from Harvard Business Review (Featuring the Strategic Genius of Taylor Swift by
Flyvbjerg, Bent
Review, Harvard Business
Meyer, Erin
Paperback
The Year in Tech, 2026: The Insights You Need from Harvard Business Review
Webb, Amy
Review, Harvard Business
Anthony, Scott D.
Paperback
What the Heck Is Eos?: A Complete Guide for Employees in Companies Running on EOS
Bouwer, Tom
Wickman, Gino
Hardcover
Dirtbag Billionaire: How Yvon Chouinard Built Patagonia, Made a Fortune, and Gave It All Away
Gelles, David
Hardcover
Influence and Persuasion (HBR Emotional Intelligence Series)
Review, Harvard Business
Morgan, Nick
Cialdini, Robert B.
Paperback
Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as If Your Life Depended on It
Voss, Chris
Raz, Tahl
Hardcover
A CEO for All Seasons: Mastering the Cycles of Leadership
Dewar, Carolyn
Keller, Scott
Malhotra, Vikram
Hardcover
Inner Excellence: Train Your Mind for Extraordinary Performance and the Best Possible Life
Murphy, Jim
Paperback
How to Work with Complicated People: Strategies for Effective Collaboration with (Nearly) Anyone
Leak, Ryan
Hardcover
G.O.A.T. Wisdom: How to Build a Truly Great Business--From the Founders of Beekman 1802
Ridge, Brent
Kilmer-Purcell, Josh
Hardcover
The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More, and Change the Way You Lead Forever
Stanier, Michael Bungay
Paperback
Biblia del Vendedor: Tecnicas Efectivas Para El Vendedor Competitivo
Dey, Alex
Dey, Alejandro
Paperback
Fearless Pricing: Ignite Your Team, Own Your Value, and Command What You Deserve
Brown, Casey
Paperback
Hbr's 10 Must Reads on Managing Yourself, Updated and Expanded (Featuring How Will You Measure Your Life? by Clayton M. Christensen)
Review, Harvard Business
Drucker, Peter F.
Gallo, Amy
Paperback
Positive Intelligence: Why Only 20% of Teams and Individuals Achieve Their True Potential and How You Can Achieve Yours
Chamine, Shirzad
Hardcover
The First 90 Days, Updated and Expanded: Proven Strategies for Getting Up to Speed Faster and Smarter
Watkins, Michael D.
Hardcover
Hbr's 10 Must Reads 2025: The Definitive Management Ideas of the Year from Harvard Business Review (with Bonus Article Use Strategic Thinking to Creat
Review, Harvard Business
Rometty, Ginni
Sutton, Robert I.
Paperback
The Mom Test: How to talk to customers & learn if your business is a good idea when everyone is lying to you
Fitzpatrick, Rob
Paperback
Hbr's 10 Must Reads on Emotional Intelligence, Updated and Expanded (Featuring What Makes a Leader by Daniel Goleman)
Ibarra, Hermina
Review, Harvard Business
Goleman, Daniel
Paperback
Hbr's 10 Must Reads on High Performance, Updated and Expanded (Featuring Nine Things Successful People Do Differently by Heidi Grant)
Review, Harvard Business
Grant, Heidi
Goleman, Daniel
Paperback
Hbr's 10 Must Reads on Leadership, Updated and Expanded (Featuring Begin with Trust by Frances X. Frei and Anne Morriss)
Review, Harvard Business
Edmondson, Amy C.
Ibarra, Herminia
Paperback
Hbr's 10 Must Reads on Managing People, Updated and Expanded (Featuring Are You a Good Boss--Or a Great One? by Linda A. Hill and Kent Lineback)
Hill, Linda A.
Review, Harvard Business
Goleman, Daniel
Paperback
Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving in
Fisher, Roger
Ury, William
Patton, Bruce
Paperback
The Ideal Team Player: How to Recognize and Cultivate the Three Essential Virtues
Lencioni, Patrick M.
Hardcover
Generative Ai: The Insights You Need from Harvard Business Review
Cremer, David De
Review, Harvard Business
Mollick, Ethan
Paperback
Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most
Stone, Douglas
Heen, Sheila
Patton, Bruce
Paperback
The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership: A New Paradigm for Sustainable Success
Klemp, Kaley
Dethmer, Jim
Chapman, Diana
Paperback
Feedback That Works: How to Build and Deliver Your Message, Second Edition
Center for Creative Leadership
Paperback
Begin With WE: 10 Principles for Building and Sustaining a Culture of Excellence
McDowell, Kyle
Paperback
The Founder's Mentality: How to Overcome the Predictable Crises of Growth
Zook, Chris
Allen, James
Hardcover
Scaling Up: How a Few Companies Make It...and Why the Rest Don't (Rockefeller Habits 2.0)
Harnish, Verne
Paperback
From Drift to Drive: A High Achievers Guide to Breaking the Chains of Complacency
Robinson, Chris
Hardcover
The Practice of Adaptive Leadership: Tools and Tactics for Changing Your Organization and the World
Grashow, Alexander
Linsky, Marty
Heifetz, Ronald A.
Hardcover
The 6 Types of Working Genius: A Better Way to Understand Your Gifts, Your Frustrations, and Your Team
Lencioni, Patrick M.
Hardcover
Hbr's 10 Must Reads on Leadership (with Featured Article What Makes an Effective Executive, by Peter F. Drucker)
Drucker, Peter F.
Goleman, Daniel
Review, Harvard Business
Paperback
The Experimentation Machine: Finding Product-Market Fit in the Age of AI
Bussgang, Jeffrey J.
Hardcover
Software as a Science: Unlock Limitless Recurring Revenue Without Losing Control
Martell, Dan
Page, Johnny
Verlaque, Matt
Hardcover
The Asshole Survival Guide: How to Deal with People Who Treat You Like Dirt
Sutton, Robert I.
Paperback
The Emotionally Intelligent Team: Building Collaborative Groups That Outperform the Rest
Druskat, Vanessa Urch
Hardcover
Get Scalable: The Operating System Your Business Needs To Run and Scale Without You
Deiss, Ryan
Paperback
The Oz Principle: Getting Results Through Individual and Organizational Accountability
Hickman, Craig
Connors, Roger
Smith, Tom
Paperback
Demand-Side Sales 101: Stop Selling and Help Your Customers Make Progress
Moesta, Bob
Engle, Greg
Hardcover
Our Iceberg Is Melting: Changing and Succeeding Under Any Conditions
Kotter, John
Rathgeber, Holger
Hardcover
Hbr's 10 Must Reads on Managing People (with Featured Article Leadership That Gets Results, by Daniel Goleman)
Goleman, Daniel
Katzenbach, Jon R.
Review, Harvard Business
Paperback
The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You
Maxwell, John C.
Hardcover
Rocket Fuel: The One Essential Combination That Will Get You More of What You Want from Your Business
Wickman, Gino
Winters, Mark C.
Paperback
The Black Swan: Second Edition: The Impact of the Highly Improbable: With a New Section: On Robustness and Fragility
Taleb, Nassim Nicholas
Paperback
The Way of the Shepherd: Seven Secrets to Managing Productive People
Leman, Kevin
Pentak, William
Hardcover
Unicorn Team: The Nine Leadership Types You Need to Launch Your Big Ideas with Speed and Success
Kem, Jen
Hardcover
The Need to Lead: A Topgun Instructor's Lessons on How Leadership Solves Every Challenge
Berke, Dave
Hardcover
Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts. (Large Print Edition)
Brown, Brené
Paperback
How to Win Friends and Influence People: Updated for the Next Generation of Leaders
Carnegie, Dale
Hardcover
The One Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth about Extraordinary Results
Papasan, Jay
Keller, Gary
Hardcover
Hbr's 10 Must Reads on Strategy, Updated and Expanded (Featuring the Five Competitive Forces That Shape Strategy by Michael E. Porter)
Kim, W. Chan
Review, Harvard Business
Porter, Michael E.
Paperback
Hbr's 10 Must Reads on High Performance (with Bonus Article the Right Way to Form New Habits" an Interview with James Clear)
Goleman, Daniel
Review, Harvard Business
Clear, James
Paperback
The 360 Degree Leader: Developing Your Influence from Anywhere in the Organization
Maxwell, John C.
Paperback
Profit Generating Pipeline: A Proven Formula to Earn Trust and Drive Revenue
Venetz, Leslie
Hardcover
The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace: Empowering Organizations by Encouraging People
Chapman, Gary
White, Paul
Paperback
Masters of Uncertainty: The Navy Seal Way to Turn Stress Into Success for You and Your Team
Diviney, Rich
Hardcover
The Maxwell Daily Reader: 365 Days of Insight to Develop the Leader Within You and Influence Those Around You
Maxwell, John C.
Paperback
Main Street Millionaire: How to Make Extraordinary Wealth Buying Ordinary Businesses
Sanchez, Codie
Hardcover
The Hard Thing about Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers
Horowitz, Ben
Hardcover
Find Your Why: A Practical Guide for Discovering Purpose for You and Your Team
Sinek, Simon
Mead, David
Docker, Peter
Paperback
The New Gold Standard: 5 Leadership Principles for Creating a Legendary Customer Experience Courtesy of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company
Michelli, Joseph A.
Hardcover
Hbr's 10 Must Reads on Emotional Intelligence (with Featured Article What Makes a Leader? by Daniel Goleman)(Hbr's 10 Must Reads)
Boyatzis, Richard E.
Review, Harvard Business
Goleman, Daniel
Hardcover
Tax-Free Wealth: How to Build Massive Wealth by Permanently Lowering Your Taxes
Wheelwright, Tom
Paperback
The Leadership Challenge: How to Make Extraordinary Things Happen in Organizations
Kouzes, James M.
Posner, Barry Z.
Hardcover
The Advantage: Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else in Business
Lencioni, Patrick M.
Hardcover
Blue Ocean Strategy, Expanded Edition: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make the Competition Irrelevant
Kim, W. Chan
Mauborgne, Renée a.
Hardcover
Who Believed in You: How Purposeful Mentorship Changes the World
Powell McCormick, Dina
McCormick, David
Hardcover
The Phoenix Project: A Novel about It, Devops, and Helping Your Business Win
Kim, Gene
Behr, Kevin
Spafford, George
Paperback
Hardball: Are You Playing to Play or Playing to Win?
Stalk, George
Lachenauer, Rob
Butman, John
Hardcover
The Broken Rung: When the Career Ladder Breaks for Women--And How They Can Succeed in Spite of It
Ellingrud, Kweilin
Yee, Lareina
del Mar Martinez, Maria
Hardcover
Hbr's 10 Must Reads on Strengthening Your Soft Skills (with Bonus Article You Don't Need Just One Leadership Voice--You Need Many by Amy Jen Su)
Gallo, Amy
Review, Harvard Business
Goleman, Daniel
Paperback
The Trusted Advisor: 20th Anniversary Edition
Green, Charles
Maister, David H.
Galford, Robert
Paperback
Rocket Fuel: The One Essential Combination That Will Get You More of What You Want from Your Business
Wickman, Gino
Winters, Mark C.
Hardcover
Leadership and Self-Deception, Fourth Edition: The Secret to Transforming Relationships and Unleashing Results
Arbinger Institute
Paperback
Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World
Collins, Tantum
Silverman, David
McChrystal, Stanley
Hardcover
There's Got to Be a Better Way: How to Deliver Results and Get Rid of the Stuff That Gets in the Way of Real Work
Kieffer, Donald C.
Repenning, Nelson P.
Hardcover
The 4 Disciplines of Execution: Achieving Your Wildly Important Goals
Covey, Sean
McChesney, Chris
Huling, Jim
Paperback
Profit First: Transform Your Business from a Cash-Eating Monster to a Money-Making Machine
Michalowicz, Mike
Hardcover
Start with Why 15th Anniversary Edition: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action
Sinek, Simon
Hardcover
Obvious Adams -- The Story of a Successful Businessman: New Business Edition
Updegraff, Robert R.
Paperback
The Unaccountability Machine: Why Big Systems Make Terrible Decisions--And How the World Lost Its Mind
Davies, Dan
Paperback
Team Topologies, 2nd Edition: Organizing Business and Technology for Fast Flow of Value
Skelton, Matthew
Pais, Manuel
Paperback
The 360 Degree Leader Workbook: Developing Your Influence from Anywhere in the Organization
Maxwell, John C.
Paperback
Leadership on the Line: Staying Alive Through the Dangers of Change
Heifetz, Ronald A.
Linsky, Marty
Hardcover
More Human: How the Power of AI Can Transform the Way You Lead
Hougaard, Rasmus
Carter, Jacqueline
Hardcover
Trust and Inspire: How Truly Great Leaders Unleash Greatness in Others
Kasperson, David
Covey, McKinlee
Covey, Stephen M. R.
Paperback
The Lean Startup: How Today's Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses
Ries, Eric
Hardcover
Measure What Matters: How Google, Bono, and the Gates Foundation Rock the World with OKRs
Doerr, John
Hardcover
The Outsiders: Eight Unconventional CEOs and Their Radically Rational Blueprint for Success
Thorndike, William N.
Hardcover