Welcome to Misti's Insights

"Imagine the difference it will make when our attention as leaders goes back to serving our employees and, thus, our customers, with the greatest care." — Misti Burmeister  ‘Tis the season to be giving! But as we gather with family and friends...

"Lack of direction, not lack of time, is the problem. We all have twenty-four hour days." - Zig Ziglar  One of my greatest teachers, Zig Ziglar, passed away yesterday morning. He was 86.  Thank you, Mr. Ziglar, for teaching me that having great friends has...

“Leaders who know their “players” well, and who have a clear vision and strong values, will win the loyalty and dedication of their teams.” — Misti Burmeister  At a recent piano lesson, my teacher told me about the coach of her...

The only purpose of leadership is to model the excellence and the values we want to see reflected in our employees. It’s not about being a manager – someone who manages processes or the customer experience. It’s about leaving people feeling inspired....

“Enough little cascades of empowerment are all you need to create a Niagara Falls of inspiration, productivity and innovation.” – Misti Burmeister There are at least 40 working hours a week. If you commit to performing a simple empowering action just...

“Remember, in business, as in life, we reach many peaks. So, it’s critical that we re-establish our visions once we’ve accomplished them.” — Misti Burmeister My friend Stacey had been working with a new electronics company for about six...

    “While others may want to help us, they have to first consider what’s best for their businesses … and so should we.” – Misti Burmeister Sheila was thrilled when a well-respected business leader in her community asked to...

  “The best morale exists when you never hear the word mentioned. When you hear a lot of talk about it, it`s usually lousy.” — Dwight D. Eisenhower Most leaders want their team to remain engaged in their work, dedicated to the project,...

“Leading a team requires that we stop needing to be the star and, instead, champion the success of our employees.” – Misti Burmeister  If you’re in a leadership position, it’s probably safe to say that you know how to work hard...

"In the twenty-first century, it`s the individual man and woman passionately in pursuit of their business dreams who will have a positive, transformative impact on everyone`s lives."  ~John Assaraf, author of  The Answer: Grow Any Business, Achieve...

  “When those you lead give you warning signs, pay attention.” — Misti Burmeister  Two weeks ago, my parents came to visit. While we were driving back to my place from the Lexington Market in Baltimore, my car’s stupid “tire...

"As a leader, are you willing to stubbornly demand the best out of your team? Or, are you wasting time babysitting?"  - Misti Burmeister . While I certainly believe it is better to be loved than to be feared, the best leaders are those who care enough to be...

  “Keep pursuing what you want only when doing so adds value to your life and those around you.” — Misti Burmeister While there’s no shortage of wealthy people in the United States, there are very few whose beliefs and actions inspire me....

“We can only give to others that which we give to ourselves. When we put ourselves first and do what we love, we are able to better serve others.” — Misti Burmeister Selfishness often gets a bad rap. Yes, there are times when we are better served by...

“As leaders, most of us want to be authentic. Doing so has been proven to increase loyalty, retention and productivity.” – Misti Burmeister  Over the past year, I’ve had many conversations with Chris, a young man who lives in my apartment...

"Motives are the #1 cause of failure - or success - in relationships." - Misti Burmeister I recently met with two exceptionally successful businesswomen, hoping to get to know them and, perhaps, form mutually-beneficial relationships. But both conversations left me...

"When we`re clear about what taps into our stubbornness,what means so much to us that it invokes the `failure-is-not-an-option` mentality, we can all push past perceived barriers and achieve what seems impossible." - Misti Burmeister When Cindy, a retired nurse, heard...

On a recent flight, I struck up a conversation with my seat-mate, Leah, who was putting together a presentation entitled “Creating a Coaching Culture.” After learning more about her project, I shared a bit about my work with generational diversity and...