Welcome to Misti's Insights
How To Handle Negative People
As you’ll recall, last week we addressed Ashley’s (a serious student of confidence) first question, which focused on uncovering specific strategies for becoming more confident. This week we’ll dive into her next three questions, and finish off with the final one next...
Questions That Get To The Heart Of Confidence
As I mentioned last week, Ashley, a serious student of confidence, asked some key questions in an email exchange about practical techniques for strengthening confidence. The following are Ashley’s specific questions, along with helpful ideas: “What strategies helped...
The Truth About Growing Your Confidence
Immediately following a speech I delivered at a local high school, Ashley, a sophomore, cornered me and whispered, “How did you get so much confidence?” The intensity of her body language and eye contact told me she was serious about figuring out how to get some...
Here’s How to Strengthen Your Leadership Presence
You’ve seen the magnetizing pull some leaders have on the people around them. You want that for yourself, and in some cases, you’ve even been told it’s needed to be successful. “When you walk in the room,” your boss or mentor tells you, “You need to present a more...
Why There Is A Lack Of Emotionally Intelligent Leaders
Emotional intelligence, also known as EQ or EI, describes a person’s ability to recognize, process and effectively use emotions to the benefit of everyone involved. In recent years, EQ has become a highly sought after skillset, with an increasing number of...
How To Be A Better Leader Than Your Boss
Ever experience such remarkably terrible leadership that you decided, “When I get the opportunity to lead, I will do things differently. I’ll never treat my team that way.” Feeling suffocated and unsupported, you begin looking for your chance to show them how it’s...
Why Building Trust Is Crucial Toward Providing Meaningful Feedback
“Are you serious? Is she really wearing a black thong under a light colored dress? That’s inappropriate,” Justine, a fellow runner said moments after our large group took our seats at a local restaurant. It was a beautiful September day, we had just finished a 5K, and...
What Bare Trees Can Teach Us About Vulnerability
Until recently, bare trees in the midst of winter had always conjured up feelings of vulnerability. Without leaves to serve as a protective barrier, it’s entirely too easy to see and be seen. Such seeing is both welcome and appreciated during joyous times. Painful...
Here’s What To Do With Colleagues Who Aren’t Pulling Their Weight
Whether they’re mooching off your hard work, taking credit for a job well done, or complaining about their inability to keep up, difficult colleagues can increase your workload and get in the way of finishing on time. With a strong commitment to leaving the project in...
10 Daily Steps to Increasing Your Self-Confidence in The New Year
Confidence in nearly every endeavor comes with a sense of knowing or familiarity. In sports, strengthening the fundamentals is key to making critical decisions in a split second. The same thing is true when it comes to gaining confidence in yourself. Confidence in...
Why Advocating For Yourself is Necessary
Ever find yourself wanting to negotiate for a better sign-on package, a raise or an increase in responsibility, but can’t bring yourself to make the request? You know there’s a decent chance you’d get a “yes” if you ask, yet you keep quiet and think, “Next time.” Why...
A Key Question That Is Guaranteed to Make This Your Best Holiday Season Yet
Holiday parties, gift buying, end-of-year performance reviews—the holidays can be overwhelming and exhausting. The good news is that it doesn’t have to be this way. While riding the elevator at my dentist’s office, I stuck up a conversation with Jackie. “Another...
The Untold Blessing of Gratitude
Inspired by Kristin Hoffmann’s, Love & Gratitude The greatest gift of gratitude is that it can be felt in your most joyous times and your most trying times. Considering the immense challenges of life, it is a blessing to know that feelings of gratitude are linked...
The Simple Solution For Dealing With Distractors and Naysayers
Going after opportunities and experiences that inspire and intrigue you is hard enough, especially if you don’t know what you’re doing. The last thing you need to hear are the naysayers giving you very good reasons you shouldn’t take that risk. Yet, dream distractors...
Provoking Potential: The Key to Helping People Grow
Ever find yourself stepping into an opportunity lacking mastery of the critical skills necessary to get the results you want? You may not even have a clear understanding of what success looks like, but you certainly know what humiliation feels like when your results...
Why Progress Has To Get In The Way of Perfection
The problem with perfection is that it robs you of the opportunities life presents that bring you closer to your purpose and your dreams. I remember thinking, “I could die in this apartment and no one would know until my rent was well past due.” And, honestly, it was...
How To Make Time For Meaningful Work By Giving Away Critical Work
It’s entirely too easy to allow yourself to horde work because it needs to be done right. The results are too important, and your schedule is too tight to teach the person on your team who keeps asking for opportunity. And, so—you put your ambitions on hold, as you...
How To Effectively Confront Underperforming Employees
I was recently talking with Antonio, a senior leader, about an employee who had put in a request for overtime while he was away on vacation. Confused by the request, he sought out the employee and asked, “Why do you need this overtime? Is the workload too much? Are...