Coaching Real Leaders

Latest Episodes:

How Do I Stay Motivated After the Role I Wanted Went to an External Hire? Nov 09, 2026

Show notes

She’s spent years working toward a promotion, taking on more responsibility and positioning herself for the next level in her career. But when an opportunity finally opened up, the higher ups organization hired someone from the outside instead of her. Now she’s struggling to find motivation in her current role. Host Muriel Wilkins coaches her through how to deal with the aftermath of not being selected for the role she wanted.

For further reading:

Dave Stachowiak Coaching For Leaders on feedback: https://coachingforleaders.com/podcast/balance-positive-and-constructive-feedback/

You Didn’t Get That Internal Job You Really Wanted. Now What?: https://hbr.org/2019/12/you-didnt-get-that-internal-job-you-really-wanted-now-what?

What to Do When You’re Passed Over for an Internal Position: https://hbr.org/2023/04/what-to-do-when-youre-passed-over-for-an-internal-position

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.

Ask Muriel Anything: Getting Recognized at Work, Managing Team Conflict, and Responding to Tough Feedback Oct 26, 2026

Show notes

How do you make sure your contributions are recognized when the things you do best seem to go unnoticed?

How should you handle conflict between two employees who don't get along?

What should you do when colleagues describe you as intimidating, even though you see yourself as collaborative and approachable?

In this episode of Ask Muriel Anything, Muriel and her producer, Mary, answer listeners’ questions about navigating workplace dynamics, understanding your value, and becoming a more effective leader. They discuss how to test your assumptions about what your organization values, when to step in to address team conflict, and how to use difficult feedback to expand your leadership range without losing sight of who you are.

For further reading:

Getting Along: How to Work with Anyone (Even Difficult People) by Amy Gallo: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1647821061?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallback

Why Employees Need Both Recognition and Appreciation: https://hbr.org/2019/11/why-employees-need-both-recognition-and-appreciation

How to Fix Dysfunctional Team Dynamics: https://hbr.org/podcast/2025/05/how-to-fix-dysfunctional-team-dynamics

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.

“Cold Call”: How Strong Teams Leverage Different Personality Types Oct 19, 2026

Show notes

Today, we’re sharing an episode from Cold Call, the chart-topping management podcast from our colleagues at Harvard Business School.

Hosted by HBS Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Brian Kenny, Cold Call explores the real-world business case studies taught at HBS, with the professors who write them and often the executives and innovators who lived them. From the history of Hershey to today's biggest AI case studies, Cold Call breaks down the decisions, tradeoffs, and leadership lessons behind some of the most fascinating organizations.

In today’s episode, Harvard Business School Professor Len Schlesinger and TypeCoach President Rob Toomey join host Brian Kenny to discuss how managers can recognize and work across cognitive differences to improve team dynamics. They dig in on two team case studies where dysfunction isn’t loud or dramatic, and they explore how to address that subtle tension before it derails performance or strains relationships.

To listen to more episodes, follow Cold Call on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get podcasts.

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 I Ensure I Get Promoted? Oct 12, 2026

Show notes

She’s a leader who has worked hard to grow her career, but is currently feeling held back from reaching the next level. She wants to know what she needs to do to earn a promotion, especially given the challenges she faces with her team. Host Muriel Wilkins coaches her through how to manage the tension she’s feeling, and helps consider how she can keep developing even when there’s no guarantee of promotion.

Vote for Coaching Real Leaders in the Signal Awards! https://vote.signalaward.com/PublicVoting#/2026/shows/genre/advice-how-to

For Further Reading:

Leadership Unblocked by Muriel Wilkins Chapter 5: LeadershipUnblocked.com

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.

Ask Muriel Anything with Special Guest Matt Abrahams Sep 28, 2026

Show notes

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.

How Do I Lead with Confidence Without Always Needing To Be Right? Sep 14, 2026

Show notes

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.

Ask Muriel Anything: Staying Motivated, The Pros and Cons of People Management, and Handling Ambitious Employees Aug 31, 2026

Show notes

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.

Behind the Scenes: A Coaching Debrief Aug 24, 2026

Show notes

Join host Muriel Wilkins as she unpacks last week’s Coaching Real Leaders’ episode, “Why Haven’t I Made It To The C-Suite”, where she coached Randy - a leader who has spent years coming close to landing the most senior level executive roles, only to be passed over without clear feedback. In this special bonus and companion episode, Muriel debriefs the coaching conversation with her Coaching Real Leaders Community and provides additional context to what was really going on during the coaching session and helps listeners better understand her coaching approach.

Be sure to listen to the episode we debrief: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/best-of-crl-why-havent-i-made-it-to-the-c-suite/id1545444200?i=1000783849495

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.

Best of CRL: Why Haven’t I Made it to the C-Suite? Aug 17, 2026

Show notes

He’s spent years coming close to landing the most senior level executive roles, only to be passed over without clear feedback. Host Muriel Wilkins coaches him through what to do when you feel you've done everything "right" but still don't get the opportunity you were hoping for.

For further reading:

What to Do After a Final-Round Job Interview: https://hbr.org/2021/01/what-to-do-after-a-final-round-job-interview

Cracking the Code That Stalls People of Color: https://hbr.org/2014/01/cracking-the-code-that-stalls-multicultural-professionals

What Do Black Executives Really Want?: https://hbr.org/2021/11/what-do-black-executives-really-want

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.