How to Survive Game of Thrones

How to Survive Game of Thrones

Navigating Power Plays, Conflicts, and Politics at Work

About the Book

Every workplace has its own version of Game of Thrones. Departments battle for influence, teams clash over priorities, and individuals maneuver for recognition and power. These dynamics are not accidents—they are deeply human. Beneath every conflict lie the same primal drivers that have shaped humanity for millennia: competition, dominance, revenge, ideology, and, at times, cruelty.

This book reveals how to recognize these hidden forces at play and, more importantly, how to survive and even thrive in them. Drawing on real-world corporate examples, timeless psychological insights, and practical tools, you’ll learn how to decode conflicts, manage escalation, and navigate organizational politics without losing your health or integrity.

Inside, you’ll discover:

  • The five inner demons that fuel power struggles and how they show up in modern workplaces.
  • The four angels human strengths you can cultivate to counterbalance conflict.
  • The seven common conflict types and how to identify them in any team or project.
  • The nine stages of conflict escalation and proven strategies for de-escalation.
  • Practical conflict resolution tools, including the Strategy Matrix and the Battle Map.
  • Essential personal survival strategies to stay resilient when the battles rage around you.

Whether you’re a team member, leader, or consultant, this book equips you with the knowledge and strategies to keep your head—and keep it attached—when politics and power games heat up.

Because winter is always coming.

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About the Authors

Romano Roth
Romano Roth

Romano Roth is a pioneering thought leader in cybernetic transformation, enterprise evolution, and platform engineering, with over two decades of experience in the technology sector. As the Global Chief of Cybernetic Transformation at Zühlke, Romano shapes the global strategy and service portfolio for cybernetic enterprises, platform engineering, AI integration, and cloud solutions. His visionary approach redefines how organizations innovate, adapt, and scale in industries such as finance, insurance, cybersecurity, energy, healthcare, and aerospace.

In a world reshaped by Artificial Intelligence (AI), Romano believes the key to resilience and competitiveness lies in the transformation toward the Cybernetic Enterprise, a new operating model driven by feedback loops, AI-augmented workflows, and self-learning systems that place customer success at the center. His work empowers companies to continuously create value by harmonizing people, processes, technology, and AI.

Romano began his journey at Zühlke 23 years ago, evolving from software engineer and architect to trusted consultant, and now to his leadership role in cybernetic transformation. His passion for value creation through automation and quality led him from engineering into the DevOps movement and further into the forefront of enterprise transformation.

He is the organizer of the monthly DevOps Meetup in Zürich and the president of DevOps Days Zürich, an annual conference within the global DevOps movement. Romano shares his insights via his YouTube channel, with over 250 videos, and through more than 30 blog articles focused on DevOps, architecture, leadership, and transformation.

His commitment to thought leadership and education extends to his role as a lecturer in DevOps leadership, agile methodologies, digital transformation, and enterprise architecture at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts. omano’s work champions a culture of innovation and agility, helping enterprises evolve into adaptive systems capable of thriving in complex, fast-changing environments.​

Nadine Broghammer
Nadine Broghammer

Nadine is an agile and transformation coach who is committed to transforming organisations through a balance of technical advancement and human-centred change. Based in Bern, she has worked with a range of Swiss and international companies, including Die Schweizerische Post, where she currently applies her experience to enable cross-functional collaboration, improve delivery processes, and nurture a culture of continuous improvement. Earlier in her career she held positions at ERNI Schweiz AG, Zühlke Engineering AG, SBB Swiss Railways AG and UBS AG.

Through her career, she gained deep experience in various fields of business ranging from Banking, Telecommunication, Healthcare, Hospitality, Entertainment, Transportation, and Insurance. Her background combines positions in business and management, which she also studied at the University of Zurich (Switzerland) and at the University of New South Wales (Australia), with a strong orientation toward modern product development and team methodologies. She works fluently in both English and German and is comfortable operating in multilingual, multicultural contexts.

Across her roles, Nadine has become known for a direct, approachable style that emphasises transparency, open communication, and the empowerment of individuals. Rather than focusing solely on processes or tools, she addresses the human dynamics that underpin organisational success. Her work reflects a belief that sustainable transformation requires more than the adoption of frameworks such as Scrum or Lean; it requires shifts in mindset and culture that allow people to thrive amid change. She is particularly interested in the intersection between strategy, culture, and technology, where alignment across these dimensions enables real, lasting progress.

Her engagement extends beyond her corporate roles into the broader professional community.

Nadine has been an active organiser and speaker at DevOpsDays Zürich and related events, contributing to the dialogue around transformation and agile practices. She advocated for maintaining focus on people, values, and collaboration even as organisations expand. Her perspective reinforces the idea that the quality of human interaction and shared understanding often determines the success of technical or organisational initiatives. Her message is that change is not something to fear or to “get through,” but rather the natural space where learning and innovation occur. She brings empathy, structure, and clarity to that process, enabling teams and organisations to operate with confidence amid uncertainty.

Nadine connects people, processes, and strategy to cultivate environments where agility and authenticity coexist. Colleagues and clients describe her as a coach who bridges business objectives with technical and human realities, helping teams navigate complex transformations without losing sight of purpose.

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