Leadership is no longer just about authority and decision-making; it is about mindset, adaptability, and the ability to inspire and empower others. Few understand this better than Coach Susan, a high-performance leadership and mindset coach who has dedicated her career to helping individuals unlock their full potential. As a member of the Forbes Coaches Council, Susan is recognized for her expertise in leadership development and her contributions to the coaching industry. With a background in elite athletics and a deep understanding of neuroscience and psychology, she has built a science-based coaching methodology that delivers sustainable success.
Her journey—from a determined young athlete in Mississauga, Ontario, to a sought-after expert in leadership development—reflects resilience, transformation, and an unwavering commitment to excellence. This article explores her remarkable path, the challenges she overcame, and the invaluable insights she shares with aspiring leaders.
From Hockey Dreams to Leadership Realities
Susan’s leadership journey began not in a boardroom but on the ice. Growing up in Mississauga, she aspired to play for the Boston Bruins in the NHL, a dream that quickly met the reality of gender limitations in professional hockey. However, her passion for the sport drove her to find another route to success—leveraging her talent to secure an elite education.
Her relentless pursuit of excellence led her to earn a full scholarship to a prestigious New England prep school at just 14 years old. She left behind her family, friends, and comfort zone to chase bigger opportunities. But while she was achieving external milestones, internally, she was pushing herself beyond healthy limits. The pressure to be “the best” in every aspect—on the ice, in the classroom, and in life—took a toll, eventually resulting in a life-threatening illness.
Yet, her sheer determination carried her forward, earning her a spot at Princeton University, the #1 Ivy League school at the time. Success seemed within reach—until everything changed.
Overcoming Adversity: The Turning Point
Susan’s transition to Princeton was nothing short of a shock. She went from being one of the top-recruited hockey players in North America to riding the bench. Academically, she faced her first real struggles, receiving C’s and D’s—a stark contrast to her previous straight-A record. Then, the most devastating blow came: her father was diagnosed with terminal cancer and passed away during her freshman year.
This period became a defining moment. Without external validation—no ice time, no high grades, and no father cheering from the stands—Susan felt lost. Her ingrained belief that success meant outperforming others crumbled, leaving her questioning her self-worth and identity. The natural instinct was to quit and return home.
But she didn’t.
Instead, she chose to retrain her mindset. Princeton provided invaluable resources that introduced her to the power of intrinsic motivation and high-performance psychology. Through rigorous self-work, she redefined success, shifting from external validation to an internal sense of confidence and self-motivation. The results were astounding—she went from being a benchwarmer to one of the top scorers on the hockey team and from nearly failing her classes to making the National Dean’s List.
This transformation sparked a new passion: understanding how the brain works and how it can be rewired for success.
Building a Career in Leadership & Coaching
Armed with firsthand experience and a deep interest in neuroscience, Susan embarked on a mission to teach others the strategies that changed her life. While playing professional women’s hockey for the Toronto Aeros in the NWHL, where she won a National Championship and an NWHL Cup, she simultaneously pursued studies in high-performance coaching and NeuroLinguistic Programming (NLP).
At just 25 years old, she launched her own coaching practice in downtown Toronto. However, building credibility in the competitive world of leadership development was no easy feat. Unconscious biases challenged her expertise:
“What does a young woman know about business, high performance, or leadership?”
Rather than succumbing to doubt, Susan applied her own Leadership 2.0 methodology to break past limiting beliefs. By continuously refining her skills, delivering tangible results, and helping leaders achieve breakthrough transformations, she established herself as a trusted authority in high-performance coaching.
Leadership Evolution: From Solo Entrepreneur to Leading Teams
While Susan’s early career focused on individual coaching, the global shift during the pandemic presented a new challenge: leading a team of 12 professionals. Transitioning from a solo entrepreneur to managing a team required her to relinquish control, delegate effectively, and empower others.
This shift marked the evolution of her leadership style into Leadership 2.0—a science-based, high-performance leadership methodology designed to create sustainable success. Unlike traditional leadership approaches, which often focus on external strategies, Susan’s methodology prioritizes:
High-performance mindset development
State management (Emotional Intelligence strategies)
Cognitive optimization for peak performance
Deconstructing limiting beliefs and re-architecting empowering beliefs
Breaking Barriers: Challenges as a Woman in Leadership
As a woman in leadership, Susan has faced several challenges, including imposter syndrome, where she questioned her own abilities despite her achievements. She often found herself wondering, “Who am I to lead a team of 12 when I’ve never done it before?” This self-doubt, compounded by a trust deficit, meant she had to work twice as hard to prove her expertise in environments where her leadership was met with skepticism. Additionally, boundary-setting was crucial in navigating spaces where gender biases and disrespect were prevalent, requiring her to assert herself firmly and demand the recognition she deserved.
Beyond external challenges, social conditioning played a significant role, as she had to unlearn ingrained behaviors like people-pleasing, perfectionism, and the expectation to always be a caretaker. Susan overcomes these obstacles by embracing self-authorization—the act of trusting her own voice, stepping into her power, and leading with confidence. Today, she helps other women leaders navigate similar struggles, empowering them to break through barriers, own their worth, and thrive in leadership roles.
Empowering the Next Generation of Women Leaders
Susan is deeply committed to mentoring and empowering the next generation of female leaders, equipping them with the skills, confidence, and mindset necessary to excel in leadership roles. She understands that many women struggle with self-doubt, societal expectations, and the pressure to conform to traditional leadership norms. To help them overcome these barriers, she provides tailored coaching and guidance focused on personal and professional transformation.
Coaching Women to Move Beyond Their “Social Selves”
Many women are conditioned to prioritize people-pleasing, perfectionism, and external validation, often at the expense of their own ambitions. Susan helps them break free from these ingrained behaviors by guiding them toward their authentic, self-authorized selves. By letting go of limiting beliefs and embracing their full potential, they can lead with confidence and authority.
Teaching Self-Advocacy and Confidence Building
One of the biggest challenges women in leadership face is advocating for themselves—whether it’s negotiating a promotion, speaking up in meetings, or asserting their ideas in male-dominated spaces. Susan empowers women with the tools and strategies to stand up for their worth, communicate effectively, and navigate workplace dynamics with self-assurance.
Recognizing Intrinsic Value Beyond External Validation
Too often, women tie their self-worth to external validation—performance reviews, job titles, or praise from others. Susan teaches her mentees to cultivate an unshakable sense of self-worth that is independent of external opinions. By fostering internal confidence, women can lead with conviction, take bold risks, and make decisions without fear of judgment.
Encouraging Courage, Self-Expression, and Leadership Presence
True leadership requires more than just technical expertise; it demands presence, authenticity, and the courage to be seen and heard. Susan helps women embrace their leadership identity, develop their executive presence, and express themselves with clarity and authority. By stepping into their power, they can inspire others and drive meaningful change in their organizations.
Through her mentorship and coaching, Susan ensures that women in leadership don’t just survive the challenges they face—they thrive, break barriers, and pave the way for future generations of female leaders.
The Future of Leadership Development
Looking ahead, Susan predicts that leadership development in 2025 and beyond will require a major shift to meet the demands of an evolving workplace. Organizations can no longer rely on outdated leadership models; instead, they must embrace new approaches that prioritize mindset, emotional intelligence, and intrinsic motivation.
Mindset-Driven Leadership: As AI and automation reshape industries, leaders must develop resilience, adaptability, and a growth mindset. The ability to navigate uncertainty, embrace change, and continuously learn will be crucial for long-term success. Leaders who resist change risk becoming obsolete in fast-evolving environments.
Human-Centric Leadership: The future workplace will prioritize psychological safety, high trust, and emotional intelligence. Employees thrive when they feel valued, heard, and empowered. Leaders will need to focus on fostering inclusivity, building strong relationships, and creating environments where people feel safe to innovate and take risks.
Intrinsic Motivation Strategies: Traditional leadership models often rely on external rewards like promotions and financial incentives. However, future leaders must shift toward fostering intrinsic motivation—helping employees find personal meaning and fulfillment in their work. When people are internally driven by passion and purpose, they perform at their best and remain engaged for the long term.
Organizations that fail to evolve with these leadership principles will struggle to retain talent, drive innovation, and remain competitive in the modern business landscape.
Defining Success & Legacy
For Susan, success is not measured by external accolades but by the impact she makes in the lives of her clients. She envisions a world where leadership development is revolutionized by mindset coaching—where leaders thrive, workplaces flourish, and people operate at their highest potential.
Her advice to aspiring women leaders?
“The most important person you need to believe in your leadership potential is YOU. Stop outsourcing your worth to others—take your power back and intrinsically validate your value.”
As she continues to reshape the future of leadership, Coach Susan’s legacy will be one of empowerment, transformation, and unlocking limitless human potential.
Contact:
Website: www.elitehighperformance.com
Mail: info@elitehighperformance.com
