Sue Mann
Empowering Partner to Organizations & Leaders at all Levels
From being the sole female head of a top-rated South African diplomatic mission in the Middle East, to being hired in as an “innovative change agent”, I partner with organizations to empower their people to rise and thrive in challenging times & difficult situations.
Why am I so passionate about helping frustrated, stressed out leaders who are fed-up with people problems?
With an MBA from Cornell University, and decades of work experience ranging from diplomacy, to Wall Street and management consulting I had the training, I had the experience, I had the skills, yet increasingly I was bumping into push-back and resistance. It was so frustrating. I took pride in taking ownership and delivering results, but getting other people to do the same was an increasingly thankless and stressful task.
It was when I finally understood systems, power dynamics, and the blindspots my own strengths were creating for me, that everything changed. I learned the neuroscience behind motivation, stress and how our nervous systems work, and experienced an ease and lightness that transformed my life, and the people around me.
I worked less hard, and got better results.
My mission now is to bring these tools to other leaders, so that they can move from feeling blocked and frustrated, to experiencing the joy and delight that can be managing and leading others.
Since 2018 I’ve coached and supported many hundreds of people, from first time managers to VPs and the C-suite, to experience this ease and lightness too, while enhancing both theirs and others’ performance and effectiveness.
My Story:
In the words of Dame Minouche Shafik, Director of the London School of Economics: “In the past, jobs were about muscles, now they’re about brains, but in the future they’ll be about the heart.”
Compassion lies at the heart (pun intended!) of my coaching.
Yes, the business world is competitive and results matter. But the evidence is clear that it is compassionate people and organizations who will lead and innovate the solutions we need for a better world.
Warm, compassionate, passionate – and occasionally funny! I believe (fiercely!) in my clients capacity to learn, grow and be their best selves – even when they are struggling to believe in themselves. Collaborative and supportive by preference, I am compassionately direct when it’s needed.
I worked security at Nelson Mandela’s inauguration, I’ve climbed Mt Kilimanjaro, I’ve recovered from PTSD (twice), but cliched as it is, truly my proudest accomplishment of all is being Mom to our son. Raising an empathetic young man, who is a lover of all things dragon, but who most importantly is both a fiercely independent thinker and kind of heart: that I feel blessed (and challenged!) by every day.
Greatest Accomplishment
- MBA, Cornell University
- MMH (Masters of Management in Hospitality), Cornell University
- Professional Certified Coach, ICF
- Board Certified Coach - Executive, Corporate, Business, CCE
- Certified Positive Intelligence Coach, Positive Intelligence
- Certified Community Model Resiliency Teacher, Trauma Resource Institute
- Member, International Association of Workplace Bullying and Harassment (IAWBH)
- Member, National Workplace Bullying Coalition
- Member, Boss Whispering Institute
Some Random Things About Me
- I grew up in South Africa, have lived in Cairo, Jerusalem, NYC and Boston, and now call Ithaca, NY home.
- This African lass now loves all things winter, ice and snow: downhill skiing, ice-climbing, dog-sledding, cross-country skiing, even winter camping in snow caves. Seriously.
- If it’s outdoors and active, I’ve probably done it at some point: rock climbing, mountaineering, canyoneering, white water kayaking, scuba diving, hiking etc.
- The Expanse, Star Wars, Harry Potter, Doctor Who, Battlestar Galactica…good sci-fi and fantasy seriously challenge my binge-watching discipline (or lack thereof).
- I’m a total cat lover (we have four).
- My son can always beat me at chess.
- I’ve been fired. And that “worst thing” launched me to my “best thing.”
