Melissa Eisler, MA, PCC

There are dozens of communication mistakes leaders make, particularly when they need to communicate something tricky like behavioral feedback or ideas for improvement. Let’s take a look at the most common mistakes leaders make in communication, so that we can learn from them and avoid the common pitfalls.

There are dozens of frameworks and tools about how to deliver effective feedback conversations. The collaborative feedback framework focuses on collaboration, positioning feedback as a two-way dialogue and partnership, rather than a one-way conversation. Start here if you want to prepare for a feedback conversation that stays productive.

360 feedback instruments and processes are designed to gather feedback and perspective from the people who work closest to the leader, and then reflect those perceptions back to support their leadership development. Here are three approaches and four tools to getting 360-degree feedback, depending on your budget and needs.

A both/and leadership mindset can lead you to more informed decisions, more collaborative teams, and stronger relationships and results. Keep reading to learn six tips on how to embrace this productive and collaborative mindset as a leader.

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.

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.

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.

When body language is absent — notably in online communication — we fill in the gaps and create stories about what is missing, which can lead to a communication tornado. Read my article on Forbes for six ways to be proactive about ensuring clarity and respect when communicating in the digital world.

As a leader, how you view, deliver and respond to feedback will create the culture of how others on your team see it, as well.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Life as a leader is surrounded by VUCA. In this leadership eBook, discover specific things you can do to develop and increase your capacity to navigate change and VUCA times — and thrive as a leader, team, and organization.

Inside you will find:

-A quick background on VUCA environments
-A brief overview of leadership competencies you’ll need to succeed amid chaos
-The 5C Framework for Leaders in VUCA Times, with a sample of the research that supports each of the five… Show more

Life as a leader is surrounded by VUCA. In this leadership eBook, discover specific things you can do to develop and increase your capacity to navigate change and VUCA times — and thrive as a leader, team, and organization.

Inside you will find:

-A quick background on VUCA environments
-A brief overview of leadership competencies you’ll need to succeed amid chaos
-The 5C Framework for Leaders in VUCA Times, with a sample of the research that supports each of the five pillars
-Reflections, worksheets, and practices to begin exploring the five pillars of the framework on your own Show less

How would it feel to create discipline in your life that enables your time and attention to be fiercely loyal to what’s most important to you? Let's explore screen/life balance, focusing on long-term over short-term goals, setting boundaries, winning against temptation, and other ways to be more intentional with your attention.

What does it mean when you hear the phrase executive presence? Find out what it takes to build executive presence, and what nine competencies are key if you want to master this important skill.

For most people – uncertainty is stressful. If you’re less tolerant to the unknown and changing conditions of life, there are ways to build your capacity to manage uncertainty. In other words, you can learn to meet uncertainty with resilience. Here are nine strategies to try…

While the thought of waiting for something you want or need seems easy in theory, it is much more arduous in practice. The good news is that for even the most impatient people, patience becomes easier with practice. Here are seven strategies you can use to get better at being patient.

Would you rather be the type of person who creates ease or stress around you? Follow this trick to help you respond vs. react in stressful situations and in moments where you’re triggered – so you can invite a healthier outcome for everyone involved.

It can feel daunting to attempt to break a bad habit that’s been a part of you for years. Try this seven-step plan to nip it in the bud – once and for all.

The incomplete tasks on your to-do list follow you around, yell at you, and stress you out. Follow these seven steps to cross off those items and find relief from the shackles of your to-do list.

Developing your curiosity muscles builds excellent problem-solving skills, stronger outcomes – and can be really fun. Here are three exercises to practice embracing curiosity in your life.

What is the cost of being so busy? If you find yourself drowning in a packed calendar and want to break the habit, follow these steps to tune into what matters most and design your time accordingly.

The voice inside your head claims you’re not good enough, not qualified, and don’t deserve your achievements. You just don’t understand how you’re so successful; Everyone will figure you out as a fraud sooner or later. Does this inner dialogue sound familiar? If so, you may have imposter syndrome. Here's how to deal with it.

What would you give to work less, but actually accomplish the same amount of work? Here are some time-saving tools to reduce your hours at the office, but still be a productive rock star.