Welcome to Misti's Insights
To Compete, or to Collaborate …
“Competition doesn’t have to be about beating other people. It’s about collaborating and improving our game.” — Misti Burmeister I have been a member of Toastmasters for several years but have never competed. Despite having been an Olympic track-and-field hopeful in...
What To Do About Your “Ugly Babies”
"If you only focus on the dirt, you’ll never find the treasure." — Misti Burmeister “What if I don’t actually care about this guy?” asked Sarah, a senior executive in the entertainment industry. We’d spent nearly an hour of our coaching session discussing how to get...
Playing Scarce
“Those with a scarcity mindset waste time complaining about how hard it is to find talented people.” — Misti Burmeister If we are to lead others to greatness, blow our numbers out of the water, and experience limitless success, we must give up scarcity as our modus...
If You Don’t Ask, You Don’t Get
“Asking for help makes us vulnerable, and yet through that vulnerability, some of the most magical relationships have a chance to form.” — Misti Burmeister Asking for help is not easy. Most of us worry that doing so will make us look vulnerable, weak or even...
10 Things Really Amazing Leaders Do
10 Things Really Amazing Leaders Do “Amazing leaders know diversity is critical to success, so they find ways to work with those who are different from them.” — Misti Burmeister What separates bad or mediocre leaders from the truly great ones – you know, the ones who...
Never Enough
“Truly great leaders make time to provoke greatness in their teams.” — Misti Burmeister There's never enough time to be as patient or persistent with our teams as we need to be. We’re simply too busy dealing with the crisis of the moment to focus on developing their...
How One Store Lost My Business
“Kindness really does matter – not only for retaining productive employees, but also for retaining customers.” — Misti Burmeister Recently, my friend Amy and I were shopping at a specialty-clothing store. As we browsed the merchandise, I couldn’t help but overhear an...
Do You Hear Yourself?
“Feedback lets us know how we’re doing, and it helps us feel connected to our organizations, leaders and colleagues.” — Misti Burmeister Just over a year ago, I started taking voice lessons. My mother was a vocalist, and I’ve always wondered whether I had the same...
The Thing About Feedback
“If your intention in giving someone feedback is to judge or criticize, you’ll fail to inspire a shift in their behavior.” — Misti Burmeister For many leaders, feedback is simply not an easy thing to give. Some worry about inflating egos, while others fear destroying...
The Power of Your Imagination
“Our ability to see greatness in others will falter if we fail to introduce positive and inspiring messages every day.” — Misti Burmeister Our imaginations have no difficulty locating and dwelling on all the qualities that make each of our team members less than...
In This Moment…
“Successful leaders can’t expect to influence people into greatness without knowing them and demonstrating that they care.” — Misti Burmeister There are literally millions of people waiting for someone to recognize the brilliance in them, and insist on their...
Does Your Breath Stink?
“A key to having a happy, productive career and life is to address the things that bother us head on.” — Misti Burmeister I have the best dental hygienist. Stacey will not leave a speck on your teeth. She’s a little OCD, which is not a bad trait in a dental...
Go Ahead, Put Your Foot in Your Mouth
“It’s not our choice of words or topics, but the intention behind our words, that makes the difference.” — Misti Burmeister At a holiday party put on by the management of my apartment building, I met a very nice lady named Mayra, who was in a wheelchair. When she told...
The Power of Thought
“When we can focus on the positive we feel better and more optimistic about life.” — Misti Burmeister A few months ago, my friend Joel went to the doctor for a physical. On his way to the appointment, he got a phone call with some stressful news. Thirty minutes later,...
Snow, Ice and Sliding
“Truth does find its way to belief, but only for those leaders committed to seeing it through” — Misti Burmeister Cars don’t slide into ditches or crash into each other because of a few flakes of snow. But once snow and ice have accumulated, the conditions can quite...
Will Growth Kill Your Company’s Innovation?
“If you care about your people, they’ll care about you – and the vision you’ve set forth.” — Misti Burmeister During lunch with Seth, a new friend and talented salesman, I was captivated by the story of how he went from breaking company records to looking for a new...
Mission or Money?
“Ultimately, the organizations with great leadership will make the strongest positive impact on our world.” — Misti Burmeister After a recent workout, I met John, a salesman for an education-based company. When I asked about his work, he explained,”I have my...
The Growth Paradox
“Remember that when you are in a position to influence others, your job is to serve them.” — Misti Burmeister In small companies, where you can’t buy passion as easily as you can with bigger budgets, most leaders have the imperative of caring built in. The assignment...