Coaching Real Leaders

Coaching Real Leaders

We all want to get to the next level of our career, but so many of us get stuck. Longtime leadership coach Muriel Wilkins takes you inside real-life leadership coaching sessions with high performers working to overcome professional challenges and grow as leaders. Listen in on real conversations and leave with new insights and practical guidance for your own career. The views expressed on this podcast are those of its hosts, guests, and callers, and not those of Harvard Business Review.

Episodes

December 1, 2025 41 mins
She’s a leader who unexpectedly finds herself running a company, but isn’t sure it is the right role for her long-term. Host Muriel Wilkins coaches her through defining what she can do versus what she wants to do, the level of responsibility she truly wants, and what might lie at the heart of her current discomfort.
Mark as Played
He’s relatively new to being a people manager after working hard and getting promoted quickly at his organization. He’s struggling with communicating and managing effectively with some on his team, especially former peers. Executive coach Muriel Wilkins guides this leader through how he’s currently trying to motivate people, what is or isn’t working, and how he can scale his leadership even further.
Mark as Played
She’s climbed the ladder at her companythrough many years and phases of growth. Now, she’s sensing a changing organizational tide and isn’t sure where she fits in its future. Host Muriel Wilkins coaches this leader through defining her value, working through possible scenarios at her organization, and taking a step forward into her next career phase.
Mark as Played
He is a leader looking to advance, but feels like he often struggles in meetings with more senior leadership. Host Muriel Wilkins coaches him through ways to approach these meetings differently and how to position himself to attain the higher level of leadership he wants.
Mark as Played
Listen as executive coach Muriel Wilkins joins Amy Gallo and Amy Bernstein on Women at Work to describe what she’s learned about what holds leaders at all levels back, how to identify those blockers, and how to move forward.
Mark as Played
She’s found herself in a role that she loves at a company she loves, but is wondering how - and to what extent - she should be planning for the next role and beyond. Host Muriel Wilkins coaches this leader through defining her goals, deepening her understanding of her organization, and embracing clarity while still being excited for the unknowns ahead.
Mark as Played
She’s recently switched industries and has seen her fast-paced leadership growth stall out. Host Muriel Wilkins coaches her through understanding the feedback she’s receiving, what it means to her organization, and what might help get her back on track.
Mark as Played
Are you experiencing a roadblock in your leadership path? On this season of Coaching Real Leaders, executive coach Muriel Wilkins works through issues like imposter syndrome, whether you really want to be CEO, and how to receive - and take action on - tough feedback. She guides leaders through what’s holding them back, their options for moving forward, and truly defining what they want in their careers. Listen to the latest season ...
Mark as Played
She’s an entrepreneur who has led her company to a fair amount of success. After recently hitting a roadblock, she’s hired new talent and is looking to position her company for continued growth. Host Muriel Wilkins coaches her through how to adjust her leadership to keep pace with her growing business.
Mark as Played
His leadership role requires him to co-lead a project with someone he finds challenging to work with. With clashing styles and unclear roles, their partnership feels anything but collaborative.  Host Muriel Wilkins coaches him through the root of the power struggle, and guides him toward a more intentional co-leadership path.
Mark as Played
She’s stepped into a leadership position thanks, in part, to a former boss at her organization. But now, this former boss has become a peer, and perhaps competition for the next-level role. Plus, their leadership styles often clash. Host Muriel Wilkins coaches her through how to position herself for career advancement in the face of competition from a colleague.
Mark as Played
She’s been in leadership roles for over a decade, but is feeling challenged at her latest company. She wants to focus on developing a long-term strategy but finds herself getting bogged down by the constant crises and day-to-day operational issues. Host Muriel Wilkins coaches her through what’s keeping her from being more strategic.
Mark as Played
He’s a seasoned business professional who’s worked at a number of companies with the aspiration of becoming a senior executive. But while he knows he adds value, he feels stuck in individual contributor roles. Host Muriel Wilkins coaches him through understanding what stands in his way, articulating what he wants, and redefining his personal brand at work.
Mark as Played
April 7, 2025 61 mins
She has been given more leadership responsibilities, but she worries that she’s not seen as a leader at her company. Host Muriel Wilkins coaches her through why she feels like an outsider, how she can navigate her organization’s dynamics, and how to move towards her end goal.
Mark as Played
A lot of things change throughout your career, but challenges will always be there. Executive coach Muriel Wilkins helps leaders at all levels deal with the leadership hurdles they face in today’s work world. She’s back with a new season of Coaching Real Leaders, taking us into of real life executive coaching conversations. Listen to the new season of Coaching Real Leaders starting April 7th.
Mark as Played
He’s a leader who took a role at an organization where he can expand his area of expertise and make more of a strategic impact. But he’s getting mixed signals from leadership on how to grow the company, and he’s wondering how to stay effective in influencing the senior team without burning out in the process. Host Muriel Wilkins coaches him on how to clear the path ahead.
Mark as Played
She’s an experienced leader who made a big international move to take on a new change management role. But the transformation project isn’t working out the way she had hoped. Now she’s looking for ways to increase buy-in from key stakeholders while also navigating cross-cultural challenges. Host Muriel Wilkins coaches this leader through her possible next steps to handle the resistance she’s facing as she tries to lead change.
Mark as Played
November 18, 2024 53 mins
She’s put in the hard work and might be next in line for an important, C-suite level job. But she’s not sure if that role is something she really wants. Host Muriel Wilkins coaches this leader to help her discover what she really wants to do next.
Mark as Played
He leads a large team that has grown quickly. Now he’s struggling with senior members on the team whose work isn’t meeting his expectations. He’s not sure how to hold them more accountable and drive higher performance. Host Muriel Wilkins helps him evaluate his options and understand the different ways he can enforce boundaries to move his team forward.
Mark as Played
After finishing business school, he landed several leadership positions and was fast-tracked into the executive level of his organization. But he’s been struggling to find his footing in his new leadership role, especially when he doesn’t agree with his boss. Host Muriel Wilkins coaches him through how to come to terms with leadership decisions he doesn’t agree with while staying true to himself.
Mark as Played

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