Smart Conflict : How to Have Hard Conversations at Work

Business Book Awards 2026 Shortlisted in People, Culture and Management category

A highly practical, immediately implementable guide to getting good at conflict at work.

The ability to engage with healthy conflict is a crucial element of high performance, and the foundation of collaborative, inclusive and innovative cultures.

Drawing on the latest evidence and thinking from psychology and coaching research, Smart Conflict will equip you with the skills you need to manage conflict with confidence and compassion.

As experienced conflict and leadership team coaches, Alice Driscoll and Louise van Haarst know that not enough conflict, of the right kind, is just as damaging to teams and organizations as having too much of the wrong kind. Whether your default conflict style is avoidant, inflexible or aggressive, this book will give you the tools to embrace Smart Conflict and transform your leadership, your team and maybe your life.

Alice Driscoll is a leadership coach and conflict specialist, author, and co-founder of The Power House, a global leadership development business on a mission to unlock human and organizational potential.

Alice spent 15 years of her career working for creative agencies and tech companies in London, including as Managing Director of pd3 and DF London. She advised clients including Unilever, O2 and Microsoft as well as being a founding member of an exited impact healthtech startup in the carehome industry.

Alice qualified as a professional executive and systemic team coach at Henley Business School, holds an accreditation in mediation and conflict resolution with Regent’s University, and trained in psychoanalytic psychotherapy with the British Psychoanalytic Foundation.

Alice can be found on LinkedIn or at www.thepowerhouse.company.

Louise van Haarst is a sought-after executive coach, courageous communication specialist, author, and co-founder of The Power House, a global leadership development business on a mission to unlock human and organizational potential and to create leaders and teams who can manage conflict well.

A former merger and restructure consultant, Louise spent 20 years driving transformational change in the voluntary and international NGO worlds, often navigating strategic emergencies, complex cultures and thorny performance challenges.

Louise qualified in Executive Coaching & Behaviour Change at Henley Business School and is now resident coach at some of the most dynamic businesses in Europe. She works with individuals and teams at all levels of seniority in a wide range of sectors, including consulting, technology, financial services, fashion and luxury, as well as coaching and mentoring in the start-up and venture capital spaces where rapid growth, volatility and variable management capability can be significant factors.

Louise can be found on LinkedIn or at www.thepowerhouse.company.