How do I show my team I’m listening when I don’t agree with them?

How do I project confidence when I don’t know what the future holds?

How do I balance empathy with accountability?

How do I influence others when I don’t have formal authority?

In this episode, Muriel and communication expert Matt Abrahams, lecturer at Stanford Graduate School of Business and host of Think Fast, Talk Smart, answer listeners’ questions about some of the trickiest communication and leadership challenges. They discuss how to demonstrate that you’re listening without having to agree, how to communicate with confidence in uncertain situations, and how to hold people accountable without sacrificing empathy.

For further reading:

Think Fast, Talk Smart: https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/business-podcasts/think-fast-talk-smart-podcast

Matt’s book Think Faster, Talk Smarter: How to Speak Successfully When You're Put on the Spot: https://www.amazon.com/Think-Faster-Talk-Smarter-Successfully/dp/1668010305?tag=bookplease06-20&geniuslink=true

Building Influence Without Authority (Coaching Real Leaders): https://hbr.org/podcast/2021/03/building-influence-without-authority

Exerting Influence Without Authority (Harvard Business Review): https://hbr.org/2008/02/exerting-influence-without-aut

Connect with Muriel:

Website: murielwilkins.com

LinkedIn: @Muriel Maignan Wilkins

Instagram: @CoachMurielWIlkins

Join the Coaching Real Leaders Community: coachingrealleaderscommunity.com

Read Muriel’s book: LeadershipUnblocked.com

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

She’s a leader who’s built a reputation for being direct, confident, and decisive. But she’s recently received feedback that her communication can create tense interactions with colleagues. Host Muriel Wilkins helps her look beyond the feedback itself to understand what’s driving those moments, and how she can exude confidence without the need to always be right.

For further reading:

The Right Way to Respond to Negative Feedback: https://hbr.org/2018/05/the-right-way-to-respond-to-negative-feedback

How to Make Sense of Conflicting Feedback on Your Leadership: https://hbr.org/2022/01/how-to-make-sense-of-conflicting-feedback-on-your-leadership

How Do I Stop Being Defensive?: https://hbr.org/podcast/2021/11/how-do-i-stop-being-defensive?

What Leaders Get Wrong About Listening: https://hbr.org/podcast/2025/06/what-leaders-get-wrong-about-listening

Leadership Unblocked Chapter 5: LeadershipUnblocked.com

Own the Room: https://us.amazon.com/Own-Room-Discover-Signature-Leadership-ebook/dp/B00BAH7PQY/ref=sr_1_2?_encoding=UTF8&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.epwJb2QC4llONZO6YeARJmJmT5QGtcapVuFP9fuTNbE.N4ouJEbmhKVyJS8dDcnMA_s1Ieg-1Da9XjVKtTDekp8&dib_tag=se&keywords=B00BBJZX2O&nsdOptOutParam=true&qid=1789330493&s=digital-text&shoppingPortalEnabled=true&sr=1-2

Connect with Muriel:

Website: murielwilkins.com

LinkedIn: @Muriel Maignan Wilkins

Instagram: @CoachMurielWIlkins

Join the Coaching Real Leaders Community: coachingrealleaderscommunity.com

Read Muriel’s book: LeadershipUnblocked.com

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

How do you stay motivated in your career after years of success - and conquering so many mountains?

How do you decide if taking on people management is the right move for you?

How should you respond to an ambitious employee that you think needs to be more patient?

In this episode, Muriel and her producer, Mary, answer listeners’ questions to help leaders of all levels navigate the challenges they are facing.

For further reading:

A Guide to Motivating Yourself at Work: https://hbr.org/2023/07/a-guide-to-motivating-yourself-at-work

The 7 Hidden Beliefs That Hold Leaders Back: https://www.radicalcandor.com/podcast/hidden-beliefs

How Do I Stay Motivated After Surviving Layoffs? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjy_GCrZTnQ

Should I Become a People Manager? https://medium.com/@fun_cuddles/should-i-become-a-people-manager-the-difficulty-of-identifying-management-potential-8fbfb534f0b1

Want to stay connected? You can find Muriel here:

Website: murielwilkins.com

LinkedIn: @Muriel Maignan Wilkins

Instagram: @CoachMurielWilkins

Want to be coached by Muriel?

If you’re facing a professional challenge, apply to be coached by Muriel on the Coaching Real Leaders podcast: Apply here

Keep the conversation going:

Join the Coaching Real Leaders Community where Muriel hosts live debriefs and Q&A sessions: coachingrealleaderscommunity.com

Go deeper:

Read Muriel’s newest book, Leadership Unblocked: LeadershipUnblocked.com

For executive coaches:

Learn more about Evolve, Muriel’s immersive program for executive coaches: murielwilkins.com/evolve

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.