Welcome to Misti's Insights

I recently met with Frank, a CEO in the financial industry, to discuss my executive coaching services. He was considering bringing me on board and wanted to make sure that my coaching style matched his belief system. Knowing that I was meeting with a brilliant,...

In today’s world, where technology provides countless ways to communicate, many of us have forgotten how to do it effectively. And that’s a big problem for leaders. Gallup estimates that companies lose $300 billion each year in productivity alone. Imagine...

At Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport several months ago, I struck up a conversation with Ken, an impressive mid-level manager. After he shared his passion for this work, I asked, “So, do you like your company?” I cringed when he answered,...

You can’t have too much of a good thing…or can you? In response to my recent post on the importance of making employees feel valued, one of my readers, Todd, asked, “Can you overdo appreciation?”  Until recently, I believed there was no...

25 Things to Say “Yes” to in 2012When my new assistant, Kelly, requested weekly status meetings, I thought, Meetings just suck up time. But before I could say I’d rather send her e-mails with specific tasks, she explained. “I’m part of...

Keep It Simple...Make It Powerful For someone who`s not big into shopping for clothes, doing so during the holidays is ... well, you can imagine. In order to avoid the large, crazy masses, I wandered into a smaller clothing store and was greeted immediately by Mary, a...

4 Ways to Leverage Your Passion About five years after I started Inspirion, my business suddenly wasn’t doing well, and I couldn’t figure out why. So, I picked up a CD by Steve Siebold, who’s among the top three percent of highest-earning speakers...

A few months ago, I had lunch with an old friend and her husband, Brint, whom I had never met. I soon learned that he was about to graduate from Johns Hopkins and was looking for a job. Eager to learn how I could help, I asked about the types of jobs and industries...

Even if you know the value of your voice, you’re going to have a hard time convincing other professionals to listen … that is, until you prove your brilliance to them. Several months ago, I began considering how to combine my two greatest passions –...

Gen Y has been part of the workforce for more than a decade and, in four years, will constitute half of all workers; yet the generational conflict their arrival stirred up is still wreaking havoc on many organizations. Why? Contrary to popular belief, it’s not...

I often wonder what people in leadership positions think their jobs are all about. Isn’t leadership about bringing out the very best in other people? Yet, according to Talent Management magazine, while nearly 60 percent of employees think their direct...

There’s an interesting paradox that plagues our workforce: Professionals want to be given opportunities to grow, and leaders want driven team members who step up and make themselves indispensible. Yet, we keep hearing, “Why don’t they see how hard...

Two days before moving in, I walked through my new apartment with my leasing agent, Jennifer. With the stress of moving, my anxiety and attention to detail (OK, my OCD) were escalated. I immediately noticed dirt and water all over the hardwood floors. I swiped my...