What is a Good Life? What is a Good Life? #116 - Resting In The Arms Of Our Ancestors with Sue McDonnell
On the 116th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I’m delighted to welcome Sue McDonnell—an executive coach, psychotherapist, and lifelong student of leadership, transformation, and human systems. With decades of experience guiding senior leaders and teams, Sue helps people break free from old patterns and embrace new possibilities.
Her approach is deeply systemic, recognising leadership as an interconnected dance rather than an isolated act. She has worked with executive teams at renowned companies, across several industries, facilitating interventions that honour both the seen and unseen forces shaping leadership.
Drawing on a wealth of experience—over 8,000 coaching hours—and influences from a range of great teachers, Sue blends relational intelligence, emotional agility, and adaptive leadership. For her, true leadership isn’t about control—it’s about presence.
Rooted in curiosity about the human experience, the wisdom of her Irish heritage, and a deep commitment to growth, Sue brings a unique perspective to leadership and change.
In this wonderfully soulful conversation, we explore what it means to navigate uncertainty, stay open-hearted in difficult times, and a connection with something bigger than ourselves. We also explore eternal ties with ancestors, touching on the unseen threads that weave through our lives.
This episode is an invitation to embrace the unknown with curiosity, wisdom, grace, and a deeper sense of connection.
For more of Sue's work, check out the following:
Website: https://www.suemcdonnell.com.au/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sue-mcdonnell-91b5983/
Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life if you'd like to explore your own lines of self-inquiry through 1-on-1 coaching, take part in my 5-week Silent Conversation group courses, discuss experiences I create to stimulate greater trust, communication, and connection, amongst your leadership teams, or you simply want to get in touch.
- For the What is a Good Life? podcast's YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/@whatisagoodlife/videos
- My newsletter: https://www.whatisagood.life/
- My LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-mccartney-14b0161b4/
- Exploring this question for yourself: https://www.whatisagood.life/p/your-personal-interview
- The Silent Conversations: https://www.whatisagood.life/p/the-silent-conversations
00:00 Our relationship with uncertainty
04:00 Reconnecting with the land of your birth
09:35 Overwhelming connections with the divine feminine
13:10 Curiosity around our lineage and ancestors
17:52 Feeling held and protected by ancestors
24:00 Feeling the presence of the dead
26:40 Allowing our hearts to open
30:00 The conversation and connection is eternal
34:00 An awareness of the range of this life
38:45 The role of expectations in suffering
45:31 We are always disappearing and growing
48:40 Connecting with the divine
54.40 What is a good life for Sue?