Lead with clarity – before the reaction

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Lead With Voice, Not Force

 

Meet Misti

Misti Burmeister helps leaders listen earlier — before reaction, before force, before disconnection sets in.

She is known for her grounded presence, sharp insight, and rare ability to name what others feel but struggle to articulate. An award-winning author, speaker, and leadership communication coach, Misti’s work has been featured on National Public Radio, the Washington Business Journal, and Huffington Post, among others.

For more than two decades, Misti has worked with executives, founders, and leadership teams navigating growth, transition, conflict, and cultural strain. What began as a passion for helping professionals communicate more effectively has evolved into something deeper: helping leaders uncover what’s already present — clarity, capacity, courage — and lead from there.

Her work sits at the intersection of inside-out leadership, affective awareness, and courageous communication. Leaders don’t come to Misti to be “fixed.”

They come to her when forcing outcomes no longer works — and listening differently becomes the only way forward.

Work With Misti If You’re Ready To​:

    • Lead without overfunctioning, micromanaging, or carrying more than your share
    • Recognize internal signals before they turn into conflict, burnout, or disengagement
    • Strengthen leadership presence without relying on authority, pressure, or performance alone
    • Navigate difficult conversations with clarity, steadiness, and self-trust
    • Foster accountability, ownership, and collaboration — especially during change
    • Address tension, complacency, or underperformance without damaging relationships
    • Build cultures where people take responsibility because they want to, not because they’re pushed

Misti’s Latest Book

PROVOKING GREATNESS – When survival and complacency replace curiosity and ownership, leaders face a choice: ignore what’s happening, manage it poorly, or learn how to listen for what’s being missed.

Provoking Greatness offers a practical, human-centered framework for uncovering hidden talent, restoring accountability, and leading teams toward measurable impact — without force.

Current And Past Happy Clients

“Through the power of listening and summarizing situations, Misti has an uncanny way of motivating not just you but your whole team!”
Susan Malone

Executive Director, Wide Angle Youth Media

“Working with Misti Burmeister will be one of the best decisions you have ever made as a leader. She helped me integrate new behaviors and thought processes to bolster my overall leadership presence.”
Kevin Frick

Professor and Dean, Johns Hopkins Carey School of Business

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