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.

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.

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.