The Elevated Leader
A modern handbook for managers who want to lead with confidence and transform teams — without burning out
This book is for you if...
Your days are packed with back-to-back meetings and urgent fires
You’re constantly solving problems for your team instead of developing them
You avoid hard conversations because they feel draining, or you’re unsure how to approach them
You second-guess your decisions, even though you’ve earned your position
You want to be a confident, people-first leader… but no one ever gave you the tools
Or you’re an HR professional who genuinely cares about building people-first leaders.
The Elevated Leader gives you practical tools to:
Lead with more intention and less stress
Empower your team instead of carrying the weight alone
Create a culture of accountability, clarity, and trust
Finally feel confident in how you show up as a leader
Leadership in 2025 is very different from 10 years ago
You're expected to manage performance, coach your team, handle conflict, and navigate nonstop change — all while leading with calm, clarity, and emotional intelligence.
I’ve spent the last 17 years coaching and training thousands of leaders across industries — from credit unions and manufacturers to high-growth companies. And what I’ve seen again and again is this:
Most managers were promoted to leadership because they were strong performers — not because they were "natural leaders".
This means, you end up...
Reacting instead of leading
Doing the work instead of delegating it
You avoid hard conversations because they feel draining, or you’re unsure how to approach them
Avoiding hard conversations because they feel awkward or unproductive
Feeling like you’re spinning your wheels, but never quite getting ahead
Add in Zoom fatigue, burnout, back-to-back meetings, and unrealistic expectations... and it’s no wonder leadership feels overwhelming.
This means, you end up...
Reacting instead of leading
Doing the work instead of delegating it
You avoid hard conversations because they feel draining, or you’re unsure how to approach them
Avoiding hard conversations because they feel awkward or unproductive
Feeling like you’re spinning your wheels, but never quite getting ahead
Add in Zoom fatigue, burnout, back-to-back meetings, and unrealistic expectations... and it’s no wonder leadership feels overwhelming.
Meet the book that will change the way you lead — for good
The Elevated Leader is not another fluffy leadership book full of abstract ideas and buzzwords
It's a practical, modern guide for managers ready to lead with confidence and foster teams that collaborate, perform, and thrive.
Inside, you’ll learn:
How to confidently coach your employees through constant change and harness their untapped potential.
The art of intentional leadership with a new-found focus and energy.
How to navigate tough conversations with grace, confidence, and skill.
Techniques to fully engage your employees so they operate at peak performance (and enjoy the ripple effect as your team's productivity soars).
Order now and get exclusive leadership bonuses worth up to $3,000
Order your copy of The Elevated Leader and you’ll get access to powerful tools and training.
When you order the book, you’ll be invited to:
Elevate Your Impact: Lead with Confidence, Clarity, and Intention
A high-value 90-minute session where Laurie will teach the exact strategies from the book.
If you can’t make it live we’ll send you the recording (worth $495).
The Six Leadership Saboteurs™ self-assessment
Discover which of the six hidden patterns might be holding you back—and learn the strategies to overcome them so you can lead with greater influence, intention, and impact. (worth $195).
Ordering for your team or organization?
Led live by Laurie and tailored to your team's leadership challenges. Choose from three powerful sessions:
The Elevated Leader
Overcome the six saboteurs and lead with impact
Clarity in Chaos
How to focus and lead in a distracted world
From Fixer to Facilitator
Empower your team, elevate performance
How to buy the book and claim your bonuses
Order The Elevated Leader from any major retailer — Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or your favorite bookseller.
Instant access to the Six Leadership Saboteurs™ self-assessment
A confirmation email with workshop details
For bulk orders only: A follow-up from Laurie’s team to coordinate your private session
The book will be shipped to you once it is published after [insert date here].
Whatever challenge you’re facing… there’s a chapter for that
This will help if you’re still leading the way you were taught — or trying to navigate new expectations with outdated tools.
Today’s workplace has changed but too many leaders are still managing like it’s the year 2000. This chapter breaks down why traditional leadership approaches (think: command and control, putting out fires, pulled into the weeds) no longer motivate modern teams, and what to do instead.
This will help if you’re unsure whether leadership is the right path — or struggling to support someone who isn’t thriving in a leadership role.
Maybe leadership was your “next step” but no one ever taught you how to actually lead. This chapter challenges the assumption that every high performer should become a manager and lays out what great leadership really requires.
This will help if you feel stuck, and don’t know what’s getting in your way
This chapter reveals the six patterns that could be sabotaging your leadership (like conflict avoidance, lack of delegation, and four more). You’ll learn how to recognize which ones are holding you back, and how to shift out of them.
This will help if you’re stuck in surface-level tactics and need a clear framework to lead with purpose
Learn Laurie’s signature model for modern leadership — one that prioritizes well-being, intention, and results — and how to integrate them into your daily actions to create real impact.
This will help if your day always feels hijacked by other people’s priorities
This chapter teaches you how to shift from “busy” to purposeful using real-world strategies for focus, planning, and intentional decision-making.
This will help if you’re burned out and don’t know how to change it
You can’t lead well when you’re running on empty. This chapter offers a compassionate and practical guide to protecting your time, setting boundaries, and building a culture that supports energy and wellness — both yours and your team’s.
This will help if you’re constantly busy but never feel like you’re moving forward
This chapter pushes back on the cultural fixation with hustle and shows why reflection is the secret edge most leaders are missing. You’ll gain tools to think strategically, plan effectively, and lead with clarity—even when your calendar is full.
This will help if you’ve ever wondered why your team holds back around you
Self-awareness isn’t a soft skill, it’s an essential one. This chapter unpacks how a lack of self-awareness damages trust and performance, and offers practical tools to help you better understand your emotional triggers, blind spots, and leadership impact.
This will help if you’re always exhausted, even when you love your work
Learn how to replenish your personal energy, fuel high performance, and bring presence and motivation to every interaction, using Laurie’s Energy Leadership Framework.
This will help if your team is busy, but nothing’s actually getting done
When priorities aren’t clear, everything feels urgent. This chapter shows you how to get laser-focused on what matters most, structure your time around high-impact work, and lead your team with clarity, confidence, and purpose.
This will help if your team feels disconnected or unmotivated
Culture doesn’t happen by accident — if you’re not intentional about it, you risk leading a team that’s disengaged, disconnected, and underperforming. This chapter shows you how to foster a high-trust, high-engagement culture through genuine connection, purposeful 1:1s, meaningful coaching, feedback, and psychological safety.
This will help if you're still chasing people down to get things done
You don’t need to control everything to get great results. This chapter helps you build a culture of ownership and follow-through. You’ll learn how to shift from being the fixer to becoming a facilitator — someone who creates structure, models accountability, and empowers people to take real responsibility for their work.
You’ll become the kind of leader people want to follow — not just report to
Knows exactly where to focus, and isn’t pulled in a hundred directions every day.
Holds boundaries without guilt, respectfully says no when needed, and still delivers powerful results.
Confidently coaches others through performance challenges with clarity, empathy, and accountability.
Facilitates results through clear expectations, trust, and effective delegation.
Holds intentional 1:1s, runs productive meetings, and gets the best out of your team.
Models accountability, shows up with presence, and leads with energy instead of exhaustion.
About the author
Laurie Maddalena
Laurie Maddalena is a nationally recognized leadership expert, keynote speaker, and executive coach.
By the age of 30, she was Vice President of HR and Organizational Development. That position became the springboard for launching her own leadership consultancy, and for the past 17 years, she’s been on a mission to change the way we lead at work.
Laurie has trained thousands of managers and executives across industries, spoken on international stages, and collaborated with thought leaders including Brené Brown and Jack Canfield.
Through her workshops, coaching, and now The Elevated Leader, she helps managers break free from outdated management practices — and instead lead with clarity, energy, and purpose.
She lives in Maryland with her husband, Rino, and their three children, Olivia, Luca, and Clara.
