Every leader faces those moments that can make or break an opportunity. It may be asking for a raise, pitching a big idea, or addressing a room full of decision-makers. These high-stakes conversations require the ability to communicate with confidence!

In this episode of The Leadership Habit Podcast, host Jenn DeWall sits down with Dia Bondi, a communications catalyst and author of Ask Like an Auctioneer: How to Ask for More and Get It. Together, they explore what it takes to prepare for those defining conversations where trust, influence, and outcomes are on the line.

Whether you’re negotiating resources, inspiring your team, or advocating for change, Dia’s frameworks and insights reveal how to speak powerfully and how to be “absolutely clutch in clutch moments.”

Meet Dia Bondi, Communications Catalyst

Dia Bondi is a keynote speaker, coach, and communications expert who helps leaders and changemakers speak with authenticity and authority when it matters most. Her clients include global brands like Nike, Meta, Salesforce, and Dropbox, as well as entrepreneurs, executives, and athletes seeking to elevate their presence in high-pressure situations.

As the author of Ask Like an Auctioneer: How to Ask for More and Get It, Dia combines storytelling, neuroscience, and negotiation strategy to help people push past fear and unlock their boldest communication potential. Her work has been featured on CNBC, NPR, and Forbes, and she’s known for helping professionals deliver messages that move audiences to action.

Why High-Stakes Conversations Matter

As Bondi explains, high-stakes moments aren’t just about closing a deal or landing a promotion; they’re about leadership itself. These are the situations where your communication can unlock decisions, resources, or opportunities that move your business and career forward.

A high-stakes conversation could be a one-on-one with your boss, a pitch to a major client, or a keynote at a conference. What makes it high stakes is the combination of risk, visibility, and impact. These moments require you to build trust quickly, communicate with purpose, and guide others toward a decision.

“Every high-stakes moment,” Bondi says, “is really an ask. You’re asking for engagement, for a decision, or for action, and how you prepare for that ask determines the outcome.”

The Most Common Communication Mistakes

In her two decades of coaching executives, startup founders, and leaders, Dia has seen several recurring missteps that undermine even the most talented professionals.

1. Rushing Through the Story

Too often, leaders jump straight to the solution, listing features, metrics, or data, without slowing down to paint a compelling picture of why it matters.

“The most powerful communicators,” Bondi explains, “don’t just describe a product or proposal. They invite the audience into a vision of what’s possible.”

By taking time to describe the problem, future, and stakes, leaders create emotional engagement and tension that make the solution more valuable.

2. Focusing Only on Themselves

Nerves and pressure can cause people to over-focus on their own objectives, like what they need, want, or fear. But as Bondi reminds us, “communication isn’t just about information transfer. It’s about connection.”

Compelling storytelling shifts attention to the audience: their desires, frustrations, and motivations. When people feel seen and understood, they’re more likely to say yes.

3. Playing Too Small

Many professionals limit themselves by asking for too little. Bondi challenges leaders to “ask big enough that you might get a no.”

This approach, inspired by her experience as an auctioneer, helps leaders stretch beyond comfort zones and uncover what’s truly possible. If you get a no, you’ve found the boundary. If you get a yes, you’ve just achieved more than you thought possible.

Building a Strategic Ask

Behind every effective communicator is a strategic ask,  a clear understanding of what you’re requesting, who you’re asking, and when the timing is right.

Bondi encourages leaders to check three elements before entering any high-stakes moment:

• The Right Ask: Are you requesting something you don’t already have? Don’t waste time asking for permission or support that’s already been given.


• The Right People: Identify who truly influences the decision. Sometimes it’s not the top decision-maker but a trusted ally who can advocate on your behalf.


• The Right Timing: Consider the broader context, including market conditions, organizational priorities, or competing pressures. The right message delivered at the wrong time can still fall flat.

When you align these three factors, your message lands with far greater impact and credibility.

Storytelling Frameworks That Work Under Pressure

Dia Bondi’s genius lies in turning complex communication strategies into simple, repeatable frameworks. Two of her most powerful tools are the Blocker Buster and the Mirror Effect. These tools help leaders craft messages that resonate, persuade, and inspire.

The Blocker Buster

This four-part model is ideal for product pitches or team presentations where you need to frame a challenge and position your solution.

1. Here’s what you want: Identify what your audience values most: growth, efficiency, innovation, reputation, or results.


2. Here’s what’s getting in the way: Describe the blocker or barrier preventing them from achieving that goal.


3. Here’s what I do: Introduce how your idea, service, or proposal removes that barrier.


4. And so…: End with a direct ask or call to action.

This structure builds logical and emotional momentum, helping your audience see you as the solution to their challenge.

The Mirror Effect

For more personal, one-on-one conversations, such as asking for a promotion, budget approval, or collaboration, the Mirror Effect emphasizes empathy and connection.

1. I see you: Acknowledge their goals, pressures, and values.


2. You see me: Share what matters to you and where your goals align.


3. Because of that: Present your ask as a mutual opportunity.

This framework transforms a transactional request into a collaborative partnership. It’s not manipulation, it’s alignment. As Bondi notes, “When you slow down, reflect back what you see in the other person, and connect it to your purpose, you create trust in real time.”

Overcoming the Fear of Asking

Fear is one of the most significant barriers to confident communication. The fear of rejection or being perceived as too assertive prevents many professionals from speaking up.

Bondi’s advice? Stop waiting to feel neutral.

“The most compelling leaders I’ve coached aren’t fearless,” she says. “They simply accept the intensity that comes with high-stakes moments and choose to show up big anyway.”

Courage doesn’t mean calm; it means conviction. The goal isn’t to eliminate nerves but to chan