The Price of Nice: Why Comfort Keeps Us Stuck and 4 Actions for Real Change

by Amira Barger, Machelle Williams (Read by)

Overview

Many of us follow the quote: “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.” But that advice isn’t always helpful.

In the workplace, people often choose niceness over honesty in order to avoid hurt feelings or conflict. The truth is, there are hidden costs of "niceness" that allow inequities to endure, projects to fail, and organizations to stagnate. Growth comes from courageous conversations and genuine, authentic action.

The Price of Nice introduces an innovative, proven four-step framework that shows listeners how to spot problem areas that are often masked by artificial niceness; facilitate difficult conversations and navigate conflict; empower genuine action and cease endless discussions; and build accountability systems for sustainable progress.

This guide helps team members and leaders break through superficial politeness to address real workplace problems, create solutions, and ultimately build a healthy environment for everyone to do their best work.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781663754981
Publisher:	Recorded Books, LLC
Publication date:	10/28/2025
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 7.50(h) x (d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Amira Barger is the award-winning executive vice president of communications and head of DEI advisory at Edelman, one of the largest communications and public relations firms in the world. She is also a professor at California State University, East Bay, teaching marketing, communications, and change management. She holds a BA in marketing from Vanguard University and an MBA from LeTourneau University, and she has received DEI certifications from Cornell University, University of South Florida, and SDS Global Enterprises Inc. She currently resides in Benicia, California.

Machelle Williams has crafted an easy storytelling style from twenty-three years as a corporate trainer and keynote diversity speaker. Since 2016 she has successfully produced over twenty-eight audiobook projects.

Machelle's voice is nuanced, ranging from soft and soothing to dramatic and smoky. She specializes in mysteries and thrillers; her bespoke repertoire also includes cozy mysteries and nonfiction, as well as titles in the religious, urban, and noire genres. When you need a narrator to take your listener to the edge of their seat and their breath away, trust the telling to Machelle.

Editorial Reviews

Fearless and necessary—this book doesn’t just challenge you; it changes you.”
—Van Jones, CNN

“Barger dismantles the myth that niceness equals leadership, making a powerful case for authenticity over appeasement. A must-read for those ready to lead with courage and conviction.”
—Sali Christeson, Founder and CEO, Argent

“This brave, timely book is both a heartfelt invitation to positive change and a stark warning against complacency. Barger demonstrates the true price of ‘nice’ is a tax on human dignity—paid by everyone forced to play the game. For those with the courage to absorb its lessons, the book offers the crucial tools for effective change.”
—Shane Dolgin, former Global Chief Quality Officer, Edelman

“With sharp wit and deep wisdom, Barger breaks down the costs of compliance and shows us how to reclaim our power. It’s an essential read for anyone ready to step into their full leadership potential.”
—Jeni Barrett, VP of Marketing, 50/50 Women on Boards

“Barger exposes what so many of us are afraid to admit: niceness exacts a toll. I can attest: this work is a mirror, a megaphone, and a movement.”
—Lisa Hurley, Founder, The Great Exhale, and author of Space to Exhale

“Clear-eyed and compelling in its practicality, Barger doesn't flinch or pander. This work weaves personal stories and cultural histories to lay bare the price of compliance—a timely call to revive the practice of moral courage in our lives!”
—Anastasia Kārkliņa Gabriel, cultural theorist and author of Cultural Intelligence for Marketers

From the Publisher