By Emmanuella Opara | October 19th 2026
KEY POINTS
- Ahmed Alaga advises professionals to develop resilience and problem-solving skills to navigate difficult workplaces.
- His book, Unspoken Rules of Difficult Workplaces, examines office politics, toxic bosses and workplace culture.
- The book offers practical exercises to help readers improve professional relationships and make informed career decisions.
MAIN STORY
Author Ahmed Alaga has urged professionals to develop resilience, problem-solving skills and an understanding of workplace dynamics to manage difficult working conditions and improve their career prospects.
Alaga gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos on Monday, following the launch of his book, Unspoken Rules of Difficult Workplaces.
He said the book addresses challenges associated with difficult bosses, office politics and toxic organisational cultures, offering practical approaches to handling such situations.
According to him, employees who learn to overcome workplace challenges can build competencies that improve their performance and prepare them for greater responsibilities in subsequent roles.
“Difficult workplaces are widespread, making it important for employees to acquire the skills to manage challenging situations and recognise opportunities for personal and professional growth.
“Growth is important. Every time you overcome these challenges, you build certain competencies that become valuable to you at the next level, the next job, the next career,” he said.
Alaga attributed the decision to write the book to his personal experiences with difficult workplace situations and the limited guidance available to him early in his career.
He said the publication was intended to help young professionals recognise challenging workplace dynamics, respond strategically and avoid errors that could undermine their performance and career progression.
The author said the book would be useful to employees dealing with toxic bosses, high-performing professionals struggling to advance and workers seeking better relationships with their superiors.
He added that it could also help managers assess their leadership approaches and provide insights for human resource professionals, career coaches and consultants.
Alaga said the book examined gaps in self-awareness, competence-related challenges, ineffective leadership and the effects of toxic workplace systems.
He said it also explored workplace psychology, ways to build influence, problem-solving techniques and how to determine when to confront difficult situations or leave them.
“Each chapter concludes with reflective exercises and practical steps to help readers assess their circumstances and apply the lessons to their professional lives,” he said.
On its relevance to Nigeria, Alaga said the principles outlined in the book could help individuals respond more effectively to challenges in the country’s socio-economic environment.
He encouraged professionals to adopt a solution-oriented mindset, arguing that challenges could provide opportunities to develop skills rather than reasons to abandon their goals.
“The more problems you solve, the more competency you build,” he said.
Alaga described Nigerians as resilient and adaptable, linking these qualities partly to their experiences in dealing with difficult circumstances.
He said professional development and nation-building required individuals to identify problems, assess their own contributions to those problems and work towards appropriate solutions.
THE ISSUES
Difficult workplace relationships, ineffective leadership and toxic organisational cultures can affect employees’ performance and career progression. Alaga’s book focuses on helping professionals understand these dynamics and develop practical ways to respond.
WHAT’S BEING SAID
“The more problems you solve, the more competency you build,” Ahmed Alaga, author, said.
WHAT’S NEXT
The book provides reflective exercises and practical steps for readers to assess workplace challenges, improve professional relationships and make informed decisions about their careers.
BOTTOM LINE
Alaga is encouraging professionals to approach difficult workplace situations with resilience, self-awareness and practical problem-solving skills to strengthen their careers.
