Misti Burmeister
Author/Speaker/Leadership Communication Strategist
The key to effective feedback lies in our intentions, not our methods. Your intentions must be about helping others, not just yourself.
Misti Burmeister
About Misti
An award-winning author, speaker, and leadership communication strategist, Misti helps leaders transform internal pressure into clarity, presence, and effective action. Her work focuses on what happens before breakdowns occur — before disengagement, conflict, or burnout — so leaders can respond with intention instead of reaction.
For more than two decades, Misti has partnered with leaders across a wide range of environments: senior executives, founders, small business owners, leadership teams, and community organizations. From boardrooms to local restaurants, her work centers on the same core question: How do we lead in a way that invites ownership, trust, and contribution — without carrying everything ourselves?
Misti is often brought in when:
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- leaders feel responsible for everything.
- talented people aren’t stepping up
- tension goes unspoken but affects performance
- feedback isn’t landing — or isn’t happening at all
- growth has outpaced clarity
She works with large organizations and small businesses alike, because the dynamics are the same — only the margin for error is different.
In small businesses, the stakes are personal. Owners are managing people they see every day. Culture is immediate. Communication breakdowns affect revenue, retention, and relationships in real time.
In larger organizations, the stakes are scaled. Decisions ripple. Silence compounds. Leaders must influence without proximity.
Misti helps leaders in both settings develop the same essential capability: internal authority — the ability to lead with voice instead of force, clarity instead of control, and presence instead of pressure.
Leadership Philosophy
At the heart of Misti’s work is a simple belief:
Leadership doesn’t begin with strategy.
It begins with attention.
Before a leader reacts…
Before feedback is delivered poorly…
Before people shut down or disengage…
Something is already happening — internally, relationally, and culturally.
Misti teaches leaders how to recognize those early signals and respond with clarity, steadiness, and truth. Her approach is grounded, practical, and deeply human — designed for leaders who want results and sustainability.
Leaders work with Misti because she:
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- names what others sense but don’t know how to articulate
- brings depth without therapy language or performative vulnerability
- blends real-world experience with clear, actionable insight
- understands both enterprise complexity and small-business immediacy
- creates clarity that leaders can use immediately
Whether she’s working with a CEO, a leadership team, or a small business owner, her goal is the same: to help leaders stop carrying it all and start building environments where people lead themselves.
Experience & Credibility
Her clients include organizations such as Johns Hopkins Carey School of Business, Marriott, Johnson & Johnson, AT&T, the United States Navy, and the Environmental Protection Agency, as well as locally owned restaurants, small businesses, and entrepreneurial teams navigating growth, turnover, and leadership strain.
She is the author of Provoking Greatness: Unleashing Hidden Talent, and her current work focuses on inside-out leadership, affective awareness, feedback that changes behavior, and building cultures where people take responsibility without being pushed.
Misti is available for:
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- Keynotes and conferences
- Leadership retreats and offsites
- Small business and founder events
- Workshops and facilitated conversations
- Community leadership gatherings
Her sessions are tailored to audience size, industry, and context — from intimate rooms to large stages.
To inquire about speaking or workshops:
📧 [email protected]
📞 240-401-4397