69. How to STOP Feeling Intimidated Around Senior Executives

It's performance review season, and if you're still approaching your review the way you did 10 years ago, you're leaving BIG opportunities on the table. If you're tired of working your butt off only to walk out of your review feeling underwhelmed, this episode will show you exactly what needs to shift. Melody reveals five secrets that separate leaders who advance from those who stay stuck at "meets expectations." What You’ll Discover:Why your review has almost nothing to do with the past 12 months (and what it's REALLY about)The seemingly harmless 5-word phrase that's destroying your credibility in reviewsWhat your boss is really thinking when they say you need to "work on your executive presence"Two quick techniques that turn ambiguous feedback into actionable clarityWhy your "areas for improvement" are screaming “you’re not ready for a promotion” (and the simple fix) www.speaklikeaseniorleader.com www.speaklikeaseniorleader.comConnect 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

Whenever you get around powerful executives, you shrink. Your usual confidence evaporates, your words get jumbled, and you find yourself acting like you're grateful just to be in the room. This episode dives into the hidden reasons behind why accomplished mid-career professionals like you often feel intimidated by those in authority and how to stop undermining yourself. What You’ll Discover:Why some leaders make you feel instantly smaller while others feel like equals (hint: it’s not their title!)How to spot when you're unconsciously handing over your powerThe subtle language patterns that immediately signal you're operating from a disadvantaged positionWhat your strongest reactions to certain leaders reveal about youwww.speaklikeaseniorleader.comConnect 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

As a leader, it’s easy to point the finger at someone else when something goes wrong – expectations aren’t met, peers are slow to act, or pressure from the top adds to an already stressful environment. Leaders spend so much time trying to control others, stressing and ruminating on how to force a situation to bend to their will, when they should instead focus on themselves. Today, Muriel M. Wilkins, author of LEADERSHIP UNBLOCKED, joins the show to share seven hidden beliefs that block leaders’ progress and how to get unstuck. About MurielMuriel M. Wilkins, founder and CEO of Paravis Partners, is a sought-after C-suite adviser and executive coach with a twenty-year track record of helping senior leaders take their performance to the next level. She is the author of Leadership Unblocked: Break Through the Beliefs That Limit Your Potential and coauthor of Own the Room: Discover Your Signature Voice to Master Your Leadership Presence. Muriel is the host of the Harvard Business Review podcast Coaching Real Leaders, consistently ranked as a top-ten podcast in Apple's Management category. www.speaklikeaseniorleader.com www.speaklikeaseniorleader.comConnect 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

It’s no secret that work is more uncertain than ever. You may spend each day worrying, “Will I be let go?” even if you’re a top performer. There’s a term for this: layoff anxiety. In this episode, Melody breaks down how to manage constant stress about your job security without letting it consume you or hurt your performance. What You’ll Discover:Why 58% of companies plan layoffs in 2026 and how these cuts are different from previous yearsHow to separate real layoff warning signs from anxiety-driven overthinkingSpecific questions you can ask your manager to gauge job security without sounding paranoidWhat leadership actually looks for when making difficult staffing decisionswww.speaklikeaseniorleader.comConnect 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

Hard work doesn't guarantee career advancement – and pretending otherwise is keeping you stuck. In this episode, Melody sits down with Lorraine K. Lee, author of Unforgettable Presence to explore the biggest missing piece in most people's career strategy. What You’ll Discover: Identify if you've hit the "invisible ceiling" and warning signs to watch forBuild a career brand that opens doors instead of keeping you invisibleApply the RAVE model (Relationships, Appearance, Visibility, Expertise) to create workplace influenceCommand attention on video calls About LorraineLorraine K. Lee is a keynote speaker, best-selling author of Unforgettable Presence: Get Seen, Gain Influence, and Catapult Your Career, and instructor with LinkedIn Learning and Stanford. She is recognized as a LinkedIn Top Voice with hundreds of thousands of followers, and has a decade of experience leading editorial teams at top tech firms. Her insights have appeared in outlets such as CNBC, Bloomberg, and Fast Company. Learn more:  https://lorraineklee.com/www.speaklikeaseniorleader.com www.speaklikeaseniorleader.comConnect 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

🚨 RESILIENT enrollment is open. Final cohort of 2025. Secure your spot: https://melodywilding.com/resilient In this episode, I sit down with Sara, a team leader who grew up in a military family and carried that "stand at attention" mentality straight into the corporate world. Sara shares how she went from automatically deferring to anyone with authority while simultaneously babysitting her team through every decision, to building the backbone needed to challenge up, set boundaries, and actually develop her people. If you've ever found yourself nodding along in meetings when you have something valuable to add, saying "yes sir" when you should be pushing back, or constantly rescuing your team from problems they should solve themselves, this conversation will resonate deeply.What You’ll Discover: How Sara went from silent observer to strategic contributor in executive meetings – and why her boss started specifically asking for her inputThe childhood programming that made Sara cower around authority and how she broke free without losing respectHow she learned to redirect out-of-scope requests diplomatically while actually helping people get better solutionsThe fix that freed up hours of Sara’s week that she could reinvest in more important work www.speaklikeaseniorleader.com www.speaklikeaseniorleader.comConnect 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

🚨 RESILIENT enrollment is open. Get $300 off until 9/12 11:59pm with code SAVE300. Final cohort of 2025. Secure your spot: https://melodywilding.com/resilient In this episode, hear the replay of Melody’s recent training that will teach you 6 mental shifts elite leaders use to stay confident, calm, and in control in demanding roles – without sacrificing their sensitivity.What You’ll Discover:See how top performers at Google, Amazon, and Microsoft broke the cycle of grinding harder but advancing slower.Get the secret to handling draining office dynamics, without needing hours on the couch every Saturday recovering from the workweek.Step into the mindset needed to lead million-dollar budgets and bigger teams (no debilitating fear that you "can't handle it" necessary!)Spot the career-crusher hiding in your helpful nature and how to escape the "dependable but invisible" trapConnect 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

🚨 RESILIENT enrollment is open. Get $300 off until 9/12 11:59pm with code SAVE300. Final cohort of 2025. Secure your spot: https://melodywilding.com/resilient In this episode, I sit down with Karolina, a self-described "data ninja" who went from staring at blank email drafts for 20 minutes to confidently advocating for her promotion and building a powerful internal network. Karolina shares how she broke through the negative self-talk and fear of rejection that kept her standing in her own way, increased her confidence scores by 34% in just 13 weeks, and transformed from someone who avoided emotions to someone who uses them as strategic data. If you've ever found yourself knowing exactly what you want to say but freezing when it's time to speak up, this conversation is for you.Why Karolina's boss pulled her aside and said "you show up differently now" –– and what shifted to make this happenThe framework Karolina uses when her brain starts spiraling (it's a simple acronym that works in seconds)How a quarterly 20-minute strategy landed Karolina a referral to her dream role (even though most people ignored her messages)www.speaklikeaseniorleader.com www.speaklikeaseniorleader.comConnect 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

🗓️ FREE TRAINING: High Performance Under High Pressure – September 9th at 3pm ET (replay available): https://melodywilding.com/highperformance —If you feel like a pushover at work – as if you set limits but people ignore your requests – this episode is for you. Melody breaks down the subtle ways you may be sending the message that your boundaries don’t matter, and how to start commanding the same respect you already give your boss, colleagues, and customers. What You’ll Discover:Why your teammate keeps dumping last-minute requests on you despite your obvious stressHow to reset relationships that are testing you without seeming confrontational or difficultThe framing that makes you look unprofessional instead of protecting your reputationThe 2-second swap to avoid sounding defensive when pushing back on requestsHow to address disrespectful treatment even if you're worried about appearing oversensitive or causing conflictwww.speaklikeaseniorleader.com www.speaklikeaseniorleader.comConnect 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

🗓️ FREE TRAINING: High Performance Under High Pressure – September 9th at 3pm ET (replay available): https://melodywilding.com/highperformance —What happens when your greatest professional strengths become the very things that exhaust you? In this episode, Melody sits down with Elise, a graduate of the RESILIENT program, who shares her journey from taking leave for burnout after feeling trapped in cycles of overthinking and self-doubt to developing the confidence to take "imperfect action" and trust her instincts. What You’ll Discover: How "procrast-learning" keeps you stuck in endless preparation mode instead of taking actionThe specific mantras Elise used to push through discomfort and take "imperfect action" in challenging situationsHow to dramatically shorten your preparation time for important conversations and presentationsWays to share incomplete thoughts and disagree with confidence in meetings without second-guessing yourselfwww.speaklikeaseniorleader.com www.speaklikeaseniorleader.comConnect 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