Articles

Right Wrong Trap

Escape the Right/Wrong Thinking Trap in Leadership

By Melissa Eisler |

The right/wrong thinking trap is more dangerous than you think. Find out the risks of holding onto your idea of “right” too tightly, and what kind of leadership mindset to embrace, instead.

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4 Frameworks for Feedback Conversations Leaders Can Use

By Melissa Eisler |

You know you have to give someone feedback, but the idea of giving constructive feedback has you in knots. What’s the best way to say what you need to say so it is productive for everyone? Learn four frameworks for feedback conversations you can use to deliver feedback in a candid, compassionate, and productive way.

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Feedback as a gift

Feedback as a Gift: Reframing Difficult Conversations

By Melissa Eisler |

If you can learn to see feedback as a gift, you will increase your capacity to have difficult conversations, which will improve your relationships at work, your team’s performance, and the culture of your organization.

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Goal-setting exercise

Goal-Setting Exercise: Reflect and Plan for Next Year’s Success

By Melissa Eisler |

At the end of each year, I always take some time to reflect on the past year and design what I want the next year to look like. In this article, I outline the steps I take for my goal-setting exercise, and how you can use the same steps to set yourself up for a successful year ahead.

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getting honest feedback

11 Steps to Getting Honest Feedback as the Boss

By Melissa Eisler |

The higher up you climb in an organization, the more valuable feedback tends to be. The problem is, the more power you have, the more difficult it is to get honest feedback. This presents a huge dilemma to leaders who want the honest truth about where they need to grow. Find out what you can do as the leader to encourage honest, direct feedback from your team.

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Strategic boundaries

How to Create Healthy and Strategic Boundaries

By Melissa Eisler |

We all have the same 24 hours in each day. You must use your time wisely – in a way that meets your strategic initiatives at work and your personal goals simultaneously. Creating and communicating strategic boundaries is the best way to focus your time and resources on high-impact, mission-critical efforts and activities.

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9 Elements of an Effective Request

By Melissa Eisler |

Most leaders don’t get what they really want or need from their teams because they don’t know how to ask for it. Here are nine things to consider to ensure your next request is a productive one.

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activities to spark creativity

6 Activities to Spark Creativity and Innovation on Your Team

By Melissa Eisler |

If your team is struggling to generate new ideas, you may have to do something different. Try one of these activities – perfectly suited for brainstorming sessions and leadership retreats. These exercises offer a great way for your team to feel more connected, think outside the box, and have some fun.

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creative team environment

10 Ways to Create a Team Environment That Fosters Creative Thinking

By Melissa Eisler |

Creative blocks happen. When a team has been working together for a while, particularly on the same brand or product or mission, it’s easy for them to get stuck in a creative rut – together. As a leader, how can you spark creativity and create an environment that fosters creative thinking?

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power at work

Power at Work: What it Really Means and How to Gain Power (Even When You Think You Have None)

By Melissa Eisler |

Most people think of manipulation and deceit when they think of power at work. However, power is often misunderstood – and it is not inherently bad. The more you understand power, the more power is accessible to you. Learn about 11 types of power and find tips on how to gain more power at work.

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compassion and candor

The Intersection of Compassion and Candor in Workplace Communication

By Melissa Eisler |

We must cleanse our organizations of the negative stigma of direct communication, and replace it with the sense of generosity. Saying something that needs to be said is a gift that strengthens people, teams, and organizations if done with care. Here is how to balance compassion and candor in your communication.

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self-awareness

10 Steps to Develop Self-Awareness – the Most Critical Leadership Competency

By Melissa Eisler |

Self-awareness is the cornerstone to strong leadership. If you are a leader, you must be aware of where you fall short if you are to close the gap between where you are and where your organization needs you to be. Because you cannot fix a problem you are unaware of, you have to be proactive about discovering your blind spots. Here are 10 ways to gain a more complete picture of who you are as a leader.

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active-listening

Active Listening: 12 Levels to Enhance Your Listening Skills

By Melissa Eisler |

When most people are listening, their minds are elsewhere. By contrast, active listening is when you place all of your focus on the speaker – paying attention at 12 distinct levels. Find out what they are and how to practice them – to establish trust in your relationships, build psychological safety on your teams, and deepen your connections both personally and professionally.

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surprising benefits of imposter syndrome

5 Surprising Benefits of Imposter Syndrome

By Melissa Eisler |

While feeling like a fraud is a common problem for high achievers, new research suggests there are some surprising benefits to imposter syndrome, or rather, to imposter thoughts. Here are the notable benefits, as well as some strategies you can take to strike the right balance between confidence and humility.

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psych safety

Psychological Safety: What It Is and How to Build it on Your Teams

By Melissa Eisler |

Psychological safety is the secret ingredient that sets highly effective teams apart from those that are average or under-performing and the reason some teams retain long-term superstars, while others have high turnover. Once you understand what it is and why it’s so important in team cultures, you can begin to take some steps to foster more of it in your organization and environment, and ultimately create a team everyone wants to work for.

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slow-down-to-speed-up

A Strategic Leadership Paradox: Slow Down to Speed Up

By Melissa Eisler |

Moving too fast can cause errors, self-centeredness, misunderstandings, lack of innovation and strategic thinking, chaos, and so much more. Yet … it is what we do all the time. Here are six slow-down strategies for fast movers that will leave you more productive and engaged.

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Building a Better 2021: Goal-Setting for Uncertain Times

By Melissa Eisler |

If 2020 taught us one thing, it is to slow down and focus on what matters most. Before setting any New Year’s resolutions, goals, or intentions, take some time to reflect on lessons learned from 2020, and use them to plan your year ahead.

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Melissa is the founder and principal executive coach at Wide Lens Leadership. As an ICF Certified Executive Coach with a Master's degree in organizational leadership, Melissa has coached hundreds of leaders ranging from C-suite to entrepreneur, from Fortune 500 companies to startups, and across diverse industries. She is passionate about supporting leaders and teams on their growth journeys toward greater impact, more collaborative teams, and stronger results.