You don’t need a fancy degree to lead well. According to Frisco-based author and executive coach Heather Lisle, what you really need is the ability to communicate with purpose and maybe a little help from a personal board of directors.
After two decades coaching top executives and leading across government, nonprofit and corporate sectors, Lisle knows exactly why so many professionals feel stuck. “It’s not a skill gap,” she says. “It’s a communication gap.” Her new book, Hold the Pineapple, Please, is here to change that.
A Book Built From Boardrooms And Blunt Truths
The inspiration behind the book came from years of watching talented leaders struggle to connect with their teams and peers. “I’ve seen brilliant people fail, not because they weren’t capable, but because they couldn’t land their message,” Lisle says
Drawing from real-world scenarios (and her own communication faceplants), Lisle introduces frameworks like DISC to help readers better understand their audience and themselves. She challenges the myth that good communication means saying more. Instead, she teaches how to say what matters in a way that actually sticks.
One of the hardest chapters to write, she admits, was chapter 8, on nonverbal communication. “I had to take a hard look at how I show up without saying a word. And let’s just say… my face has a mind of its own.”
Building A Brand That Actually Reflects You
A big part of Hold the Pineapple, Please is helping leaders build a personal brand that’s more than a polished LinkedIn banner. For Lisle, brand is all about perception. “If there’s a disconnect between how you want to be seen and how you’re showing up, that’s your work,” she says.
Her coaching process starts with clarity: What do you want to be known for? She pushes past job titles and into purpose. Are you the CFO who makes clients feel seen? The strategist who simplifies chaos? Then, she helps clients clean up their online presence and replace robotic posts with human storytelling.
A Bestseller With Staying Power
The response has been overwhelming: Hold the Pineapple, Please soared to No. 1 on Amazon in both the Business Communication and Women & Business categories, a milestone Lisle celebrated with friends and family at a joyful launch party in Frisco. The impact has already been deeply personal. One reader shared that the book gave her the courage to finally have a tough, overdue conversation with her CEO. For Lisle, that’s exactly the point: empowering professionals to speak up, lead better and communicate with purpose.
“My network showed up big,” she says. “And honestly, I learned to let them. I’m not great at asking for help, but this reminded me how powerful your circle can be.”
Next Steps And A Bigger Mission
Up next? More keynotes, more coaching and team training programs built around the book’s lessons. A second book may be in the works, but Lisle’s eyes are firmly on the larger goal: helping women show up fully in leadership.
“We’re wired for nuance and connection,” says Lisle. “These are not weaknesses — they’re our superpowers.”
What to Read Next: Hold the Pineapple, Please is available now on Amazon.
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