Episode 66: Stop Avoiding the Big Stuff as a Leader

Sue Bethanis hosts Sarah Noll Wilson, executive coach, leadership development consultant, and bestselling author of Don’t Feed the Elephants!: Overcoming the Art of Avoidance to Build Powerful Partnerships. Sarah is a regular contributor to Harvard Business Review and hosts the podcast “Conversations on Conversations”, is certified in Co-Active Coaching, Conversational Intelligence, and is a frequent guest lecturer at universities.

Sarah works with leaders to develop more powerful partnerships and helps teams spot patterns that are keeping them from higher performance. An in-demand keynote speaker, she leads workshops and team retreats for leaders and HR professionals. Previously, Sarah worked in management and as the talent development leader for an insurance company, giving her firsthand insight into the challenges of corporate leadership. In addition to her work with organizations, Sarah is a passionate advocate for mental health. She holds several coaching certifications and has a master’s in leadership development from Drake University.

Sue and Sarah discuss:

• How effective leaders deal with relentless change and uncertainty.
• How to spot the important conversations being avoided (the “elephants”) by your team and YOU.
• Specific tips for wading into these tough topics, e.g. three different ways to use curiosity.