The Human Side of Leadership with Executive Coach Sarah Noll Wilson
Sep 04, 2025
Listen on:
In this episode of Dominate Your Day, I speak with leadership expert, speaker, and author Sarah Noll Wilson for an insightful conversation about what it really means to lead with authenticity. Sarah dives into the emotional weight of leadership, emphasizing that building trust begins with showing up as a fallible, honest human being. She explains how genuine care, not performative concern, is a hallmark of thriving organizations—and how leaders must be willing to close the gap between their intentions and their impact.
Sarah shares some of her current research into the art of repairing relationships—not just after major breakdowns, but in the subtle, everyday moments that slowly build or erode trust. Drawing from her personal experiences and work with hundreds of companies, Sarah shares how emotional safety, intellectual humility, and relational repair are essential for leaders navigating constant change.
The episode is a refreshing reminder that leadership isn't about perfection—it's about presence, curiosity, and the courage to keep choosing your people again and again.
Episode Minutes:
- Minute 8:00 — "Repair" in Relationships
- Minute 13:00 – Importance of Authenticity in Leadership
- Minute 18:00 — Closing The Gap Between Intention and Impact
Links + Resources from This Episode:
- Learn more about Sarah’s work at sarahnollwilson.com
- Get your copy of Don't Feed the Elephants!: Overcoming the Art of Avoidance to Build Powerful Partnerships
- Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn
- Learn more about The Strengths Journal
About Sara Noll Wilson
Sarah Noll Wilson is on a mission to help leaders build and rebuild teams. Her goal is to empower leaders to understand and honor the beautiful complexity of the humans they serve. Through her work as an Executive Coach, an in-demand Keynote Speaker, Researcher, Contributor to Harvard Business Review, and Bestselling Author of Don’t Feed the Elephants, Sarah helps leaders close the gap between what they intend to do and the actual impact they make. She hosts the podcast “Conversations on Conversations”, is certified in Co-Active Coaching, Conversational Intelligence, and is a frequent guest lecturer at universities. In addition to her work with organizations, Sarah is a passionate advocate for mental health.
Sarah creates a safe, honest environment, preparing people to deal with real-world conflict, have more meaningful conversations, and create purposeful relationships. Working with CEOs, Human Resources leaders, and organizations that care deeply about their employees and understand the connection between employee development, employee satisfaction and organizational success, Sarah specializes in transforming relationships from good to great.
With 15+ years in leadership development, Sarah earned a master's degree from Drake University in Leadership Development and a BA from the University of Northern Iowa in Theatre Performance and Theatre Education – no wonder clients love the energy she brings to their teams! When she isn’t helping people build and rebuild relationships, she enjoys playing games with her husband Nick and cuddling with their fur baby, Sally.
Did you enjoy this episode of Dominate Your Day?
Please rate, review, and follow the podcast on:
Sign up for the Weekly Leader's Digest
Each week we'll send you easy action items you can incorporate into your daily work routine to help you become a better leader.
By signing up, you are joining the Dana Williams Co. email list. We never sell our data. You can unsubscribe at any time.
