54. The Surprising Reason You Sound More Junior Than You Really Are

Join Speak Like a Senior Leader™ before doors close July 25th 11:59pm. Only cohort of 2025! https://speaklikeaseniorleader.comIn this episode, Melody reveals the one simple communication shift that instantly elevates how others perceive your credibility. Melody breaks down how to communicate in a way that reflects the true complexity and magnitude of your work, so leaders see you as the strategic, high-value professional you actually are.What You’ll Discover: The two missing ingredients that instantly separate senior-level communication from junior-level ramblingHow to make colleagues and leader lean forward and think "now that was impressive"The before-and-after transformation that got one client invited to present to the board within six monthsspeaklikeaseniorleader.com Connect with Melody: FREE GUIDE: Steal These Scripts for Saying No at Work FREE NEWSLETTER: Psychology at Work Weekly Get on the Speak Like a Senior Leader™ Waitlist Follow Melody on LinkedIn Follow Melody on Instagram Get Melody's new book, Managing Up

Join Speak Like a Senior Leader™ before doors close July 25th 11:59pm. Only cohort of 2025! https://speaklikeaseniorleader.comMelody shares her most controversial “hot takes” on workplace politics and delivers the hard truths about how influence really works in corporate environments. This episode challenges the romanticized view of how work "should" operate and provides a pragmatic framework for gaining influence ethically. What You’ll Discover: ▪️The brain science behind why "staying above office politics" backfires▪️How to tell the difference between productive politics and destructive manipulation▪️Why your "weakness" for picking up on tension might be the most valuable skill you're not usingspeaklikeaseniorleader.com Connect with Melody: FREE GUIDE: Steal These Scripts for Saying No at Work FREE NEWSLETTER: Psychology at Work Weekly Get on the Speak Like a Senior Leader™ Waitlist Follow Melody on LinkedIn Follow Melody on Instagram Get Melody's new book, Managing Up

🎟️ NEW FREE TRAINING: RSVP for 5 Steps to Speak Like a Senior Leader happening July 16th at 3pm ET: https://melodywilding.com/training If you've been waiting to "feel more confident" before speaking up in meetings, asking for that promotion, or sharing your insights at higher levels, this episode will completely shift how you think about building authority and credibility at work. Melody surveyed hundreds of mid-to-senior level professionals. What she found were hidden patterns that keep even the most driven people stuck, struggling to turn their expertise into true respect and recognition. In this episode, she unpacks why the self-help industry’s obsession with “confidence” might be making it worse.What You’ll Discover: What your nervous system really needs to build executive presence Why your carefully crafted message can still land flat—and what to do about itA life-changing 5-word concept that will change how you think about nervousnessThe five biggest myths professionals believe about confidence (and what’s true instead)Connect with Melody: FREE GUIDE: Steal These Scripts for Saying No at Work FREE NEWSLETTER: Psychology at Work Weekly Get on the Speak Like a Senior Leader™ Waitlist Follow Melody on LinkedIn Follow Melody on Instagram Get Melody's new book, Managing Up

🎟️ NEW FREE TRAINING: RSVP for 5 Steps to Speak Like a Senior Leader happening July 16th at 3pm ET: https://melodywilding.com/training Ever walk out of a meeting wondering what your boss actually meant when they said "That's an interesting perspective" or "Let's circle back on this"? You're not imagining things – executives speak in code, and cracking it is essential for your career advancement. In this episode, Melody breaks down the diplomatic language that senior leaders use and reveals what they're really trying to tell you when they can't just say it directly. What You’ll Discover: How to develop sophisticated communication radar without becoming paranoid about every executive interactionThe power mapping exercise that helps you identify who really influences decisions (beyond the org chart)When to push forward with your ideas versus when to strategically step back and regroupHow to the difference between real urgency and manufactured panic when you’re told "we need to move fast on this"The best way to respond when executives say "this needs more polish" without just making your slides look pretty and hoping for the bestConnect with Melody: FREE GUIDE: Steal These Scripts for Saying No at Work FREE NEWSLETTER: Psychology at Work Weekly Get on the Speak Like a Senior Leader™ Waitlist Follow Melody on LinkedIn Follow Melody on Instagram Get Melody's new book, Managing Up

Learn how to quiet your racing mind and overcome chronic worry at work with clinical psychologist Nick Wignall. If you struggle with workplace anxiety, overthinking every email, or constantly second-guessing your decisions, this episode provides practical strategies to break free from the worry cycle. What You’ll Discover: The subtle, sneaky causes of anxiety that most people never notice at workHow to tell the difference between a worry and worrying (and why it matters for your career)The most underrated solution to workplace worry that has nothing to do with breathing exercisesHow to actually stop your mind from racing when you're spiraling about workAbout Nick: Nick Wignall is a board-certified clinical psychologist. He currently works as a coach for anxious high-achievers and runs a leadership consulting firm, Loom. His newsletter, The Friendly Mind, reaches 50,000+ people each week and shares practical, evidence-based advice for emotional health and wellbeing. https://nickwignall.com/ speaklikeaseniorleader.com Connect with Melody: FREE GUIDE: Steal These Scripts for Saying No at Work FREE NEWSLETTER: Psychology at Work Weekly Get on the Speak Like a Senior Leader™ Waitlist Follow Melody on LinkedIn Follow Melody on Instagram Get Melody's new book, Managing Up

🚨Get on the free waitlist for Speak Like a Senior Leader™, Melody’s new program to help you become a crisp, clear, confident communicator. Head to https://speaklikeaseniorleader.com. You can be highly competent and still not come across that way. You can be clear in your head and still unintentionally confuse, frustrate, or undersell yourself without even realizing it. In this episode, Melody gives you the behind-the-scenes look at how her brand-new program Speak Like a Senior Leader™ came to be and breaks down the 6 subtle communication mistakes that might be keeping you from developing the executive presence and gravitas that makes decision-makers trust you with bigger opportunities. What You’ll Discover: The silent reason your expertise isn't translating into influence (even if everyone says you're doing a great job)The six sneaky habits that make even high performers sound like mid-level contributors instead of strategic leadersOne innocent-sounding sentence that instantly signals “not ready for the next level” (and what to say instead)Why most senior leaders don’t answer the question they’re asked, and why that makes them MORE effective, not evasiveThe communication pattern that makes you sound scattered, even when your thinking is crystal clearspeaklikeaseniorleader.com Connect with Melody: FREE GUIDE: Steal These Scripts for Saying No at Work FREE NEWSLETTER: Psychology at Work Weekly Get on the Speak Like a Senior Leader™ Waitlist Follow Melody on LinkedIn Follow Melody on Instagram Get Melody's new book, Managing Up

Criticism at work only gets harsher and more frequent the higher you climb – not easier or less. That’s why in this episode Melody shares strategies to take feedback seriously without taking it personally (none of which requires superhuman zen). You'll learn how to handle difficult conversations in a way that both projects executive presence and safeguards your confidence.  What You’ll Discover: How to decode what criticism reveals about workplace politics, power dynamics, and hidden agendasHow to separate someone's communication style from the actual content of their feedbackWhy you should never act on a leader’s input until you do THIS (and no, it’s not “ask questions”)The specific scripts to use when you're blindsided by criticism and need to calm downspeaklikeaseniorleader.com Connect with Melody: FREE GUIDE: Steal These Scripts for Saying No at Work FREE NEWSLETTER: Psychology at Work Weekly Get on the Speak Like a Senior Leader™ Waitlist Follow Melody on LinkedIn Follow Melody on Instagram Get Melody's new book, Managing Up

Author Sabina Nawaz joins Melody to explore why pressure, not power, is what truly derails even the most well-intentioned leaders. They unpack simple tools like the Yes List and Multiple Meanings to help you lead with clarity, even when you’re overwhelmed.What You’ll Discover: Sneaky ways pressure warps your thinking, behavior, and relationships at workThe first thing to do when you feel like you’re barely keeping your head above waterHow to build your “pressure capacity” so challenges don’t derail your success About Sabina NawazSabina Nawaz is an elite executive coach who advises C-level executives and teams at Fortune 500 corporations, government agencies, nonprofits, and academic institutions around the world. During her fourteen-year tenure at Microsoft, she went from managing software development teams to leading the company’s executive development and succession planning efforts for over 11,000 managers and nearly a thousand executives, advising Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer directly. speaklikeaseniorleader.com Connect with Melody: FREE GUIDE: Steal These Scripts for Saying No at Work FREE NEWSLETTER: Psychology at Work Weekly Get on the Speak Like a Senior Leader™ Waitlist Follow Melody on LinkedIn Follow Melody on Instagram Get Melody's new book, Managing Up

You're on top of your work, but part of you is always checking – did that land? Did my boss like it? In this episode, Melody explains how constantly seeking your boss's approval drains your confidence and what to do about it. In this episode, she gets into what happens when your focus shifts from doing your job to managing someone else’s reaction. What You’ll Discover: How to differentiate managing up from approval seeking Why your boss's approval never actually satisfies youThe seemingly innocent habit that's secretly broadcasting your insecurity to everyoneThe "filter not sponge" approach that transforms how others’ input affects youHow "I know my worth" can become a trap if it's your only strategyConnect with Melody: FREE GUIDE: Steal These Scripts for Saying No at Work FREE NEWSLETTER: Psychology at Work Weekly Get on the Speak Like a Senior Leader™ Waitlist Follow Melody on LinkedIn Follow Melody on Instagram Get Melody's new book, Managing Up

Most of us weren't taught how to handle workplace stress, difficult colleagues, or career setbacks. We just figure it out as we go—sometimes successfully, sometimes not. In this episode, clinical psychologist Dr. Emily Anhalt breaks down what she calls "emotional fitness" and why it matters in our work lives. Based on fifteen years of research with professionals across industries, her new book "Flex Your Feelings" offers a refreshingly practical approach to strengthening our emotional health. Dr. Anhalt shares simple exercises you can use to build resilience and connection in everyday work situations, from tense meetings to performance reviews.What You’ll Discover: Why treating your emotions like muscles you can train changes everything about how you handle workplace stressHow to spot the telltale signs of emotional "unfitness" before they derail your careerPractical "emotional pushups" that Emily has taught top Silicon Valley executivesAbout Dr. Emily Anhalt  Dr. Emily Anhalt is a clinical psychologist, keynote speaker, author, and cofounder of Coa, the gym for mental health. For the past fifteen years, Dr. Anhalt has worked clinically with executives, founders, and high-performers, and has conducted extensive research with prominent psychologists and entrepreneurs about how leaders can improve their emotional fitness. Dr. Anhalt has collaborated with companies like Google, Salesforce, NBCUniversal, NASDAQ, and the NBA, and her debut book, Flex Your Feelings (published with Penguin Randomhouse) is available now.speaklikeaseniorleader.com Connect with Melody: FREE GUIDE: Steal These Scripts for Saying No at Work FREE NEWSLETTER: Psychology at Work Weekly Get on the Speak Like a Senior Leader™ Waitlist Follow Melody on LinkedIn Follow Melody on Instagram Get Melody's new book, Managing Up