My flight from New York to Paris was delayed — maybe it would be canceled — and the passengers at the gate were frustrated.

Most were sitting quietly in their frustration, periodically looking up at the screen and mumbling the things that people mumble when they feel annoyed but powerless like, "we're never gonna get out of here!" and "can you believe this?"

Then there was this French couple, for whom mumbling was not sufficient. They were having difficulty communicating in English, which I knew, as did everyone else in the airport, because they were in a loud argument with the gate agent.

They had that Do you know who I am? posture, with some I'm not leaving until I get what I want thrown in for good measure.

Please follow the link below to read the entire article:

http://blogs.hbr.org/bregman/2010/08/the-best-way-to-handle-a-power.html

Peter Bregman speaks, writes, and consults on leadership. He is the CEO of Bregman Partners, Inc., a global management consulting firm, and the author of Point B: A Short Guide To Leading a Big Change.