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.

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.

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.

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.

Have you ever been passed over for a promotion?

Are you wondering whether you're ready for the CEO role—or your next big career move?

Are you struggling to figure out when it's time to leave for good?

In this episode, CEO Coach and Advisor, Damien Faughnan, joins host, Muriel Wilkins, to answer questions from the Coaching Real Leaders community.

For further reading:

Learn more about Damien: https://damienfaughnan.com/

Rewriting the Playbook: Leading Through Compounding Uncertainty: https://www.russellreynolds.com/en/insights/articles/rewriting-the-playbook-leading-through-compounding-uncertainty

Leaders, It’s Time to Build Your Tolerance for Uncertainty: https://hbr.org/2026/01/leaders-its-time-to-build-your-tolerance-for-uncertainty

How to Become a First Time CEO: https://www.russellreynolds.com/en/about/careers/careers-with-our-clients/how-to-become-a-first-time-ceo

The Midlife Chrysalis: https://www.meawisdom.com/podcast/

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.