- NEW BOOK RELEASE 2026
YOUR TEAM DOESN'T NEED A HERO. THEY NEED A HAPPY LEADER.
A practical, no-fluff playbook for leaders who want to drive results without burning out themselves or their teams. Built on emotional intelligence, energy management, and the belief that people don’t wake up wanting to fail. They just need a leader who knows how to help them win.
— ABOUT THE AUTHOR —
She Closes the Gap Between Knowing What to Do and Actually Doing It.
Melissa Maloney is a strategist, speaker, and Co-Founder of AWL Partners, where she helps organizations solve the problem most consultants ignore: the gap between strategy and execution. With over 25 years of executive leadership across sales, operations, and organizational growth, Melissa has built her career at the intersection of business strategy and human behaviour. She understands that clarity without willingness gets you nowhere, and willingness without clarity burns people out.
At AWL Partners, Melissa uses the Willingness-Clarity Matrix, a diagnostic framework that identifies the invisible barriers sabotaging execution. Her specialties include sales performance, change execution, and leadership development, all grounded in a core belief: most performance problems aren’t skill issues. They’re willingness or clarity issues. And no one is failing on purpose.
As Co-Founder of All Women LEAD, Melissa is a passionate advocate for advancing women in leadership through national programming and partnerships that dismantle systemic barriers. A sought-after speaker and facilitator, she is known for her engaging, grounded style and her ability to translate complex leadership concepts into insights you can actually use on a Monday morning.
25+
Years Executive Experience
2
Organizations Co-Founded
Global
North America and International Clients
"Most performance problems aren't skill issues. They're willingness or clarity issues. And no one is failing on purpose."
— Melissa Maloney
— THE BOOK —
The Happy Leader
A Modern Playbook for Energy, Empathy, and Everyday Leadership
If you’re a leader who cares about doing it right but feels like you’re running on empty, this book was written for you. The Happy Leader is a clear, conversational, and actionable guide for leaders who want to balance results with relationships and lead with energy instead of exhaustion.
Each chapter is short by design, something you can read between meetings or at the end of a long day when you need to reset. You’ll follow Alex, a burned out manager on a 90 day turnaround, and learn the same frameworks alongside her. Every section ends with reflection questions so the learning doesn’t stay on the page. It moves into your Monday morning.
- Manage your energy before it manages you
- Build psychological safety without lowering standards
- Create accountability rooted in clarity, not control
- Set expectations your team can actually follow
- Lead sales conversations with empathy, not pressure
- Align culture, performance, and purpose so everybody wins
"Happiness is not soft. It is strategic."
— ABOUT THE AUTHOR —
Ready to Lead Differently?
Pick your format. Grab your copy. Start leading with clarity,
energy, and purpose today.
Amazon
Available in paperback, hardcover, and digital formats wherever you love to read.
Ordering for your team or organization? Let’s talk
— WHAT LEADERS ARE SAYING —
Praise for
The Happy Leader
— LET'S CONNECT —
Ready to Bring Melissa to Your Organization?
Whether it’s a keynote that shifts the room, a workshop that rewires how your leaders think, or a coaching engagement that creates lasting change, it all starts with a conversation. Tell Melissa what you’re working on and she’ll get back to you personally.
- awlpartners.com
- @thehappyleader
Co-Founder of All Women LEAD | Supporting Women in Leadership Across Canada
- ✦ Lead with energy. Lead with empathy. Lead with intention. ✦