Welcome to Misti's Insights
The #1 Reason You Should Provoke Your Employees
Many people have accidentally provoked greatness, but most leaders want to know what it takes to get others to live into their potential, on purpose. “Misti, if I could take a wire, insert it into your mouth, travel it down your arms to your finger tips, we’d have a...
3 Simple Ways To Increase Employee Loyalty
Ever met an impatient employee, who wants to “do meaningful work?” Or, “Work they enjoy doing?” What did you do with them? The CEO at the first company I worked for responded to my pleas with, “Misti, what did your parents do to deal with you? It’s clear you have...
Want to Be Truly Valued and Remembered?: An Interview With Jane Atkinson
Jane Atkinson is a powerful person, with a mission to help speakers elevate their game and transform the lives of those their audiences. She’s so good that I hired her myself! She’s down-to-earth, practical, and vulnerable at the same time. She brought that same level...
Don’t Let Your Fears Paralyze You: Top 5 Strategies for Overcoming Fear and Reaching Greatness
My heart was pounding as we pulled into the parking lot where they had just begun setting up for the big event at High Tide Farm, located directly across the bay from Gibson Island in Maryland. As the aroma of horse dung hit my nose, I took a deep breath and said a...
Why You Should Date Your Employees
The real secret to being a great leader is dating your employees. The best leaders on the planet sell us on their ideas. We flock to great brands, and the awesome leaders behind them, because we believe them when they tell us how their products will make our life (and...
Reaching Success and Significance: An Interview With Dr. Nido Qubein
Beyond being one of the most articulate communicators on the planet, Dr. Nido Qubein is a humble leader, with a waiting line of people eager to be a part of his team. He’s truly one of the most remarkable leaders I’ve ever experienced, and I’m grateful to have a...
The Secret To Getting The Job You Want
This article—Rethinking Work—was just released by The New York Times. It’s a brilliantly focused on what employers need to do in order to increase employee engagement. The main take away: It's not the jobs. It's how we measure success that is killing enthusiasm. This...
Come, Be a Part of this Historical Event
After watching the recent riots in Baltimore, I remember asking myself, “What can I do?” I considered participating in a march with a bunch of kids, but something didn’t feel right about that. Then I reached out to Edie Fraser, a mentor, and the most active person I...
The Key to Engaging Stagnant Teams
A year ago, I went from having a mean doggy paddle to learning how to swim in fifteen weeks. Hip pain drove me to sign up for Swim Across America (SAA), and the excitement of my progress lead me to do the 3-mile open-water swim last September. Once the challenge was...
The Secret Strategy for Increasing Your Success Rapidly: An Interview With Dan Poynter
Have you ever wondered how some people rise quickly, within their career, organization, or industry? Throughout this interview, Dan shares brilliant ideas and strategies for increasing your credibly, and attracting the exact opportunities you want. In his mid-70’s,...
5 Concrete Steps to Reaching Your Potential
Walking through the double doors to the outdoor pool at Meadowbrook in Baltimore, I remember thinking, “Wow, that’s incredible,” as I watched a woman effortlessly swim laps in a 50-meter lane. At the time, I barely knew how to put on a swim cap, and desperately wanted...
Great Leaders Ask For Help
Nobody reaches greatness by himself or herself, and nothing great is ever achieved in isolation. If we want to go for greatness, we must ask for the support we need. The best leaders on the planet understand that they need their team to reach their goals, and so they...
5 Simple Steps to Bringing Out the Best in Others: An Interview With Stacy Allegro
Can you imagine being fired for initiative? Better yet, can you imagine firing an employee who consistently went above and beyond to serve your customer and reach your team goals? Of course not! Yet, this happens every day. And, it happened to Stacy. Not once, but 16...
Get Your Team to Work Together, and Improve Performance: Misti Burmeister Interviewed on Aha Radio
Leaders want to be effective, and employees want to succeed, so why what gets in the way? Why do challenges like generational differences (and other differences) impede performance, wreck havoc on innovation, and cause unnecessary revenue loss? Better yet, what are...
The Secret to Getting Really, Really Good at Something New
A couple of weeks ago, I had the chance to spend a whole week with my 11-year-old niece, Brooke. The day after she flew in from Colorado, we headed over to my gym here in Baltimore. It’s a Crossfit gym, so there’s lots of open area and rings that hang from the ceiling...
How to Reinvent Yourself: Interview With Damian Mason
From political comedy to professional reinvention, Damian Mason is traveling the country providing practical steps for staying relevant in an ever-changing, competitive marketplace. Not only did I get a chance to watch his hysterical political comedy show at the...
The Key to Reaching Every Goal You Ever Set
Last week, I met this beautiful little girl—Hana—in the pool. She was practicing the breaststroke with her mom, one lane over. On my rest between sets, Hana told me she had just learned to swim eight weeks prior. “Show me what you’re working with,” I said....
Finding the Right Employee for an Immediate Hire Position
Remember Kristina from last Thursday’s blog post? Well, six months after sending her resume to a headhunter, Kristina had several interviews lined up. One company wishing to fill a key position brought her in for an interview with a few key people, and she received a...