The Mel Robbins Podcast - How to Communicate With Confidence & Ease (From Harvard Business School’s #1 Professor)

This episode will completely change the way you think about communication. What you learn will boost your influence and make you more confident. If you… Overthink what you said hours after a meeting, Freeze up when it’s your turn to talk, Or want to sound more confident without faking it… This is your blueprint for better conversations at work, in relationships, and in life. Today, Mel sits down with Dr. Alison Wood Brooks: Harvard professor, researcher, author, and one of the world’s leading experts on the science of communication. Her course at Harvard Business School, all about communication, is one of the most popular classes there – and in this episode she shares the exact methods she teaches to students at HBS. You’re going to learn the exact tools and strategies that will help you communicate with more confidence, ease, and clarity. You'll learn: -What makes conversation feel so hard and how to make it easier -The #1 mistake people make when they talk -How to feel more confident even when you're anxious, blanking out, or unsure of what to say -Why we misread people constantly (and how to stop doing it) -How to recover from awkward moments or miscommunication -The skill every great leader, parent, and partner has in common Whether you want to build better relationships, stop second-guessing yourself, or speak up with more purpose and ease, this episode will give you the science, tools, and confidence to do it. For more resources related to today’s episode, click here for the podcast episode page. If you liked the episode, check out this one next: How To Handle Difficult People & Take Back Your Peace and Power Connect with Mel: Get Mel’s newsletter, packed with tools, coaching, and inspiration. Get Mel’s #1 bestselling book, The Let Them Theory Watch the episodes on YouTube Follow Mel on Instagram The Mel Robbins Podcast Instagram Mel's TikTok Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes ad-free Disclaimer

Duration: 1h 25m
Broadcast on: 30 Oct 2025
Audio Format: other

This episode will completely change the way you think about communication.

What you learn will boost your influence and make you more confident.

If you…

Overthink what you said hours after a meeting,

Freeze up when it’s your turn to talk,

Or want to sound more confident without faking it…

This is your blueprint for better conversations at work, in relationships, and in life.

Today, Mel sits down with Dr. Alison Wood Brooks: Harvard professor, researcher, author, and one of the world’s leading experts on the science of communication.

Her course at Harvard Business School, all about communication, is one of the most popular classes there – and in this episode she shares the exact methods she teaches to students at HBS.

You’re going to learn the exact tools and strategies that will help you communicate with more confidence, ease, and clarity.

You'll learn:

-What makes conversation feel so hard and how to make it easier
-The #1 mistake people make when they talk
-How to feel more confident even when you're anxious, blanking out, or unsure of what to say
-Why we misread people constantly (and how to stop doing it)

-How to recover from awkward moments or miscommunication

-The skill every great leader, parent, and partner has in common

Whether you want to build better relationships, stop second-guessing yourself, or speak up with more purpose and ease, this episode will give you the science, tools, and confidence to do it.

For more resources related to today’s episode, click here for the podcast episode page.

If you liked the episode, check out this one next: How To Handle Difficult People & Take Back Your Peace and Power

Connect with Mel:

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Hey, it's your friend Mel, and welcome to the Mel Robbins Podcast. I'm sitting here right now in our Boston studios, and I'm surrounded here in Boston by some of the world's most prestigious research institutions and academic institutions, including MIT, Harvard, Harvard Business School. In fact, did you know? It costs $75,000 in tuition a year to go to Harvard Business School. What are they teaching over there? Well, today, you and I are going to learn what they're teaching Harvard Business School students in one of the most popular classes at Harvard Business School. And no, it's not on finance or investment banking. It's on the science of communication. Professor Allison Wood Brooks created the course. It has a wait list. She has taken time out from her crazy busy schedule to be here for one reason today. She's here for you to teach you the main lessons, the takeaways, and the strategy. See, learning how to communicate better, it's a skill. It's a skill that will change your life. This is a class that should be taught everywhere, not just at Harvard Business School. I mean, wouldn't you love it if your boss was a better communicator with you? Don't you wish your friends or your partner, your family could really share what they're thinking in a way that was a little bit more direct? Don't you wish the people didn't misunderstand you? I sure do. What I love about Professor Brooks's research is that she's taken all these big, heady intellectual topics about communication and boiled it down into four simple things based on the research that you and I can do that are going to help you communicate better starting today. Are you ready? Because class is officially in session. Sometimes the hardest part of starting something new is starting, right? And that's especially true with new exercise routines. That's why ultra running shoes. They're designed to make that first step more comfortable. And the secret is in the ultra fit, which is more room for your toes, because when your toes aren't squished, you get comfort, balance, and strength all in one. Shop now at ultrarunning.com/mel and use code MEL10 for 10% off at checkout. That's A-L-T-R-A running.com/mel. Stay out there. The Mel Robbins podcast is brought to you by Expedia. I love Expedia because I love traveling. And here's the thing. You may be holding off on booking a trip right now because you think you need the whole plan to come together. But guess what? You don't. With Expedia's bundle and save, the more you book, the more you can save. Get up to 30% off every time you add something, and then you add more later. Expedia, the one place you go to go places. Sign in to save on select bookings. The Mel Robbins podcast is proudly sponsored by Amica Insurance, our exclusive insurance partner. Every podcast listener has a story. The milestones you'll always remember. The traditions that have been passed down over the generations. The moments that make being a part of your family mean something. At Amica, they know the things that matter are worth protecting. And showing up for those moments year after year is how trust is earned. That's why customers stay with Amica three times longer. Visit amica.com and get a quote today.

Hey, it's your friend Mel and welcome to the Mel Robbins podcast. I am so excited that you're here. I'm so excited about the topic today. I'm excited about the guests that we're going to spend time with. I also want to take a moment and welcome you to the Mel Robbins podcast family. And today, you and I are going to learn how to be a better communicator based on the research from Harvard Business School professor. She's also a best-selling author of the brand new book Talk The Science of Conversation and the Art of Being Ourselves. She is a behavioral scientist and researcher by the name of Alison Wood Brooks. Professor Brooks teaches an award-winning course on communication at Harvard Business School. It has a wait list. And today, she is condensing all 40 lectures into one hour for you. And this isn't just about talking. It's about showing up is the most confident, engaging and influential version of you. So without further ado, please help me welcome Harvard Business School professor Brooks to the Mel Robbins podcast. I'm so happy to be here, Mel. Thank you. I am so excited to just dig into your research and learn everything that we can learn from this crazy popular class that you teach at Harvard Business School. But here's where I want to start. There is a person listening right now who has no time and yet they found time and made time to be with you and me right now.

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