Hey Full Potential Zoners,
You can’t control difficult people— but you can control their power over you.
Some people drain you. Some derail you.
But the worst ones?
They make you question your own response.
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This isn’t about being the bigger person.
It’s about being the calmer one.
Because calm people win.
Not by controlling others— but by controlling what they allow.
Today we are going to help leaders master this by using:
‘How to Handle Difficult People'.
Let’s dive in!
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How to Handle Difficult People Without Losing Your Cool
1. The Passive-Aggressive Teammate
Scenario: A teammate keeps making sarcastic comments in meetings or emails, making collaboration hard and energy tense.
Don’t match their tone. Keep your replies clear and neutral. Try:
“Hey, just checking—was there something you wanted me to clarify about the project?”
Address it privately. Say:
“I’ve noticed some tension and wanted to check in. I want to make sure we’re aligned, and if anything’s off, I’d rather talk it through directly.”
Stay focused on work impact, not personality. Shift it from personal to practical.
“When those comments come up in meetings, it gets harder for me to speak up or contribute. Can we agree to keep things more direct?”
2. The Micromanager Boss
Scenario: Your manager constantly checks in, second-guesses your decisions, and redoes your work.
Ask for clarity early. Try:
“I’d love to understand what success looks like for you on this project—what are the top 3 things that matter most?”
Suggest a check-in rhythm. Say:
“Would it help if I gave a quick update twice a week so you don’t need to keep checking in as much?”
Show you’ve heard their concerns. Repeat back what they care about.
“It sounds like accuracy is the big priority—got it. I’ll make sure I double-check before sending anything.”
3. The Negative Coworker Who Complains Constantly
Scenario: Every conversation with this person turns into venting, blaming, or gossip.
Redirect with a question. Say:
“Totally hear you—what do you think would help the most right now?”
Set a limit without being rude. Try:
“I’ve got a lot to finish today—let’s circle back if there’s something you want to solve together.”
Don’t join the spiral.
Keep your body language neutral, your words short, and move back to tasks or priorities.
4. The Credit-Stealer in Group Projects
Scenario: You work hard on something, and someone else tries to take credit—subtly or directly.
Speak up early, but calmly. Right after the meeting or email, say:
“Hey, just a heads up—I noticed you mentioned the project work earlier. Since I pulled together most of that piece, next time can we tag-team the updates?”
Document your input. When sharing updates, use “I” where appropriate.
“I finished the analysis and here’s what I found...”
Loop in your manager subtly.
Copy them on summary updates or status notes that clearly show your work.
Download this infographic at the end of this section
It’s one thing to see a list of great tools.
It’s another to know exactly how to use them in real life to save time, create faster, and actually launch something.
So let’s break it down.
Here are 3 real-world scenarios that show how to go from idea to action — using nothing but the tools from this list:
1. You’re stuck writing your About page or sales copy.
Open Claude and paste your messy notes. Ask it to clean it up into something friendly and clear.
Use Perplexity to check facts, polish your wording, or even research what others in your niche say.
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2. You just wrapped up a messy Zoom call with action items everywhere.
Record it with Otter so you don’t forget what was said.
Connect Zapier AI to send those notes into Notion or your task list.
Then open Notion AI and ask it to summarize the whole thing into something you can actually send or act on.
3. You’re ready to sell a digital product fast — without starting from scratch.
Head to creatyl.com and choose an idea based on what you already know.
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Want the deep dive and printable PDF? Click here
Here's how you can make it real today:
Step 1: Pick your focus
Think back to a moment this week when someone frustrated you — maybe they interrupted, shut down an idea, or sent a passive-aggressive message.
Now choose one skill from the graphic you’d like to handle better next time:
Boundaries, Empathy, Staying Calm, Getting Support, etc.
That’s your focus for today. Keep it in mind.
Step 2: Set your moment
Pick one point in your day when you’ll practice your skill.
Before a meeting? During a tough reply? While reading an email?Jot down this note or say it to yourself:
“If it happens, I’ll handle it better this time.”
Step 3: Try one clear action
Do one small thing that matches your focus. Here are a few examples:
If you chose Boundaries: Say no clearly, without apology.
If you chose Empathy: Ask, “Is there something going on I don’t see?”
If you chose Stay Calm: Pause before you speak. Lower your voice, not raise it.
If you chose Support: Share the issue with a trusted teammate.
If you chose Act, Don’t React: Focus on fixing the problem, not proving your point.
Step 4: Notice what shifted
After your moment, pause and ask:
Did it feel different than last time?
Did it lower tension?
Did it help me stay more clear or calm?
Write a quick note, or just take 10 seconds to reflect.
Step 5: Lock it in with one line
At the end of your day, finish this sentence:
“Today it helped when I __________.”
or
“Next time it happens, I’ll try __________.”
This is how handling hard people becomes less hard.
AI Prompt: “Act as a communication strategist. Help me create a simple plan for how to handle a difficult situation at work using one of these skills: Boundaries, Empathy, Staying Calm, Getting Support, or Responding Instead of Reacting.
Here are the details:
Situation: [Briefly describe the recent issue—e.g., “A coworker keeps interrupting me during meetings.”]
Skill I want to use: [Pick one—e.g., “Set better boundaries” or “Stay calm when challenged.”]
Help me with:
A one-line reminder I can keep in mind today
One thing I can say or do differently next time this happens
A short sentence I can use if I need to pause the situation or buy time
One simple way to reflect at the end of the day to see if it helped
Make it feel natural, easy to remember, and realistic for a busy workday.”
Handle people wisely, not perfectly.
You don’t need to fix every tension to be strong.
Some people won’t change—but your response always can.
Respect doesn’t always mean agreement.
Choosing calm over control is never weakness.
Until next time and with lots of love,
Justin
This Week’s Growth Recommendations
Book To Read:
“Powerful Phrases for Dealing with Difficult People” by Renée Evenson (see it here)
TED Talk to Watch:
“How to Deal with Difficult People" by Jay Johnson (see it here)
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