Welcome to Misti's Insights
How To Reduce Dread This Winter… Politics, Pandemics, and Climate Change
“It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.” ― Ursula K. Le Guin The pandemic, along with politics and even climate change, have made it very hard to feel optimistic about and in control of where life is headed. Yet...
The Power of Praise: The Reason To Thank Your Team This Holiday Season
Get Your Team To Perform Better, Through Praise Who doesn’t stand a little taller, or perform better, when someone praises their good work? Most people do. So, why don’t more leaders use praise throughout the year? Could it be that we, as leaders of teams and...
The Appalachian Antivirus: How A Rollercoaster Helped Me Overcome Covid19, Politics, and An Uncertain Future
I was in the midst of the longest and hardest hike of my life; lost, beyond frustrated, and hurt from slamming my knee into a rock on a steep downhill. I had started this hike at eight-thirty in the morning, thinking I would arrive at my destination before four in...
Overcoming Decision Fatigue During Global Pandemic
Two weeks ago I was pulling my hair out trying to figure out how to focus and get stuff done. Covid19 created a massive change in my schedule, and left me too exhausted to make the simplest of decisions. Like, when to workout. Can you relate? At the time, I didn’t...
A Phrase That Transforms Failure Into Fortitude
Fully consumed with excitement for my upcoming open water swim on a beautiful late September day, I rounded a curve on 695, just outside of Baltimore. Imagining the goose bumps from the frigid water engulfing my skin, I looked down at the temperature gauge on my car:...
How Political Conversations Can Strengthen Relationships
Politics ... a forbidden topic in many relationships, and one that can easily put a stop to new relationships. And yet, the topic is a gold mine for practicing one of the most important skills in business and life. A skill that, when strengthened, not only improves...
7 Simple Steps To Deepen Trust… NOW, more than ever
Fear is paralyzing… It stops us from bringing our full self to work. It increases tension, decreases collaboration, and wreaks havoc on progress/productivity. It doesn’t have to be that way! There is a simple (albeit, not necessarily easy) strategy to use these...
Don’t Miss Out On The Leadership Opportunity The Coronavirus Is Offering
The opportunity is before us… Leadership is needed NOW more than ever. A senior vice president of HR shared about a meeting she had with her executive team yesterday… "Misti, everybody was sitting around the table looking at each other, unsure what to do. Finally, I...
5 Questions To Break Down Team Silos And Increase Collaboration
With the golf club in my hands, I bent down ever-so-slightly to align myself with the ball. Five feet across his office floor, Tom laid down a trash basket, which I was aiming for. As I took shot after shot (missing nearly all of them… Hey, it’s just not my sport!),...
Creating Psychological Safety in Uncertain Times, Here’s How, Guest Post by Danielle Oakley, PhD
The moment is still etched in my mind. The sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. The lump in my throat. My opinion didn’t matter. My degree wasn’t good enough. My experience was irrelevant. Remember to breathe, I told myself. Let me set the scene... It was the...
Are You Heeding The Warning Signs?
Wanting to Do What I Wanted To Do It was 1pm when I finally arrived at the beach in Lewes, Delaware. I had driven three hours, checked into my AirB&B, and was ready for a swim in the rejuvenating salt of the ocean. As I popped my trunk to get my swim bag, I heard...
How to Have Conversations You Don’t Want to Have (But Need To)
“I have pulled up every leader and influencer that I follow… or work with. To be honest, as of this morning, you are one of the only ones who hasn't spoken up... and it might not be your thing… but our civil rights are at stake. Period. I’m done working with you....
4 Nights in The Backcountry: What The Appalachian Trail Taught Me
I recently spent 4 nights on the Appalachian Trail. For those who don’t know, this is a journey along the east coast that goes from Georgia to Maine. Some people take 4-6 months to walk the entire trail in one shot, while others do pieces and portions of it over...
Handling Negative Emotions In A Way That’s Good For You And Your Team
It’s not a matter of if you will get to a breaking point with frustrating people and situations. It’s a matter of when. Everyone winds up with their back against the wall, frustrated and overwhelmed, at various points in their life and work. We all need a strategy...
How To Reunite Your Team After a Pandemic
I was driving to my first appointment with a new therapist. Even under normal circumstances, that’s not a comfortable experience. And today certainly wasn’t normal. It was March 19, and the governor of Maryland had just closed non-essential businesses. Thankfully,...
Speak Up, Even If Your Voice Shakes
Until today, I have not yet spoken up about the police brutality and violence citizens are facing across the country. Mostly I haven't spoken up because I don't know what to say. I'm so filled with disbelief, sadness, anger, and rage. It's hard to speak coherently...
How To Hold A Space For Others To Vent Their Emotions
Many of us are all struggling in various ways with this pandemic. Now, maybe more than ever, many of us need a space to safely ventilate emotions. Emotions are literally energy in motion. When we have a safe space to vent our emotions, we can release them. Releasing...
Combating Anxiety and Depression During A Pandemic
The challenge of anxiety and depression during this time of grave uncertainty is real. Unfortunately, it’s entirely too easy to get swept up in the chaos of fear, doubt, and worry accessible all around us. So, how do we combat anxiety and depression during such a...