Dr Sue Mitchell is a former evolutionary ecologist and expedition leader. She is an experienced executive coach, international speaker and author of “The Authority Guide to Engaging your People”.
Sue focuses on inner sustainability and adaptable leadership to help you work effectively in a flexible workplace and thrive through change and uncertainty without stress. Her mindset approach gives you tools to raise wellbeing, engagement and performance: Bring out the best in yourself and others around you to create the positive, high trust culture and environment where people can excel, collaborate and achieve your purpose. Diverse audiences engage with her story-based keynote message: Recognising your human reactions to change and uncertainty gives you the power to take control of your mindset, make wiser choices and set yourself up for success in achieving your purpose no matter what curve-balls life throws your way.
Sue combines the spirit of adventure with the rigour of science in her events. She draws on her unique experience from leading expeditions to remote parts of the world, sailing across the South Pacific Ocean, scuba diving and training scuba instructors, growing up in Africa, a multi-cultural working experience including her scientific research career that included a post-doc at Edinburgh University and a fellowship at a Max Planck Institute in Germany, as well as running a self-catering business and her leadership consultancy.
Sue has contributed in a range of voluntary roles over the years including Chair and treasurer of her local Community Council, numerous committee positions in sports clubs, National Instructor for the British Sub Aqua Club, mentoring for the Scottish Chambers of Commerce and Sport Scotland Leadership Programme, board member of Edinburgh Women in Banking and Finance, and Regional President Scotland for PSAUK&I Professional Speaking Association UK & Ireland.
Sue is a Fellow of the Professional Speaking Association and a Professional Member of the Association for Coaching. She is qualified in Executive Coaching and several psychometric assessments including Emotional Intelligence EQ-i2, Mental Strength MTQ Plus, Leadership Styles ILM72 and others. (And in case you were wondering about the science, Sue has a masters in Marine Environmental Protection and her PhD is in Evolutionary Ecology. Sue's research was on evolutionary strategies for success and non-linear genetic-by-environment interactions impacting quantitative traits and population diversity.)
Making the world a better place through the power of inner sustainability and adaptable leadership of yourself and others to get you where you want to be with happiness, high performance and high wellbeing.
What is Inner Sustainability?
Inner sustainability is about leading yourself to be your best in all areas of your life and work, in ways that find balance and peace within yourself. It's about learning self-leadership and awareness of your mindset (mental models) that shape how you perceive and interpret the world around you which determines how you think, feel and behave, interact with others and respond to situations. It is about taking control of your mental and emotional wellbeing, so that you can be confident, perform at your best and bring out the best in people around you, stay healthy and resilient, and make the most of your life, work and relationships.
What is Adaptable leadership?
Adaptable leadership is about having a clear purpose and focus on where you want to be, combined with the confidence to be flexible and adapt to immediate circumstances as required to keep going. It is about always keeping in mind your ultimate destination and holding determination and a deep belief you will get there in the end no matter what curveballs life throws your way.
At the same time, it is acknowledging your route to reach your destination is not pre-determined and you can change how you go about it, and perhaps change the destination in light of new knowledge you couldn't access previously. It's about: being open to change; adapting to different situations; noticing the opportunities in your challenges; recognising that the solutions to challenges may lie in a different part of the system; being open to listen to different perspectives and embrace diversity of thought; having courage to take calculated risks and make decisions that are best for the team or organisation while maintaining respect for others.
Resonate
Resonating is more than aligning purpose, passion, values, motivation and attitudes. When we are aligned and in harmony can we pull together in the same direction - towards our common purpose. When we resonate we do all that AND create double the energy, enthusiasm and power for action.
Trust
Trust is the invisible glue that makes relationships work - and hence leadership, since leadership happens in relationships between people who are inspired to follow a common purpose.
We work with clients where we trust each other, as we are partnering together to deliver success in terms that are relevant to you. In our coaching sessions and other events, we aim to create an environment of trust that encourages open conversations. We aim to help you feel trust in yourself, your organisation, and your team(s). To know that you all do your parts and together you are heading in the same direction and can rely on each other to do the right thing. Trusting that people will listen, new ideas can be experimented with and when mistakes happen, everyone can learn and grow.
Contribute
Take action and make things happen – for the common purpose and good of the group.
We feel it is important to show up, take part, make things happen and give back to the community.