Sarah Griffen

Sarah Griffen Executive Leadership Coach and Strategic People Consultant

Helping Leaders lead with clarity, ease and impact.

One of the biggest mindset shifts I see in coaching is this:People think they are “behind” in their career because their...
20/05/2026

One of the biggest mindset shifts I see in coaching is this:
People think they are “behind” in their career because their path hasn’t been linear.

But often, when we look closely, there is a very clear pattern underneath it all.
The industries may have changed.
The job titles may have changed.
The environments may have changed.

But the strengths usually haven’t.

This client thought she had a collection of random experiences. What I saw was someone who could adapt quickly, lead under pressure, bring structure to chaos, solve problems, and keep things moving in difficult environments.

Careers are rarely as linear as we think they should be, especially for women navigating relationships, caregiving, relocation, survival, reinvention, and major life changes.

A nonlinear career does not mean you failed. Sometimes it simply means you adapted.

And often, your greatest strengths are hidden in the patterns you have not recognised yet.

Would love to know if this resonated with you. 💛


18/05/2026

We focus so much on the external circumstances that lead to non-linear careers that we often forget to recognise the value in the wide range of experience we actually build along the way.

If you’re a woman who’s been through life changes and your career hasn’t gone the way you expected, this is for you. 🌷

If you look at your career and think it feels random or disconnected, there is often a different way to see it. When you take a step back, patterns usually start to appear in how you think, how you work, and the strengths you consistently bring into different environments, even if the job titles have changed over time.

For many women, careers don’t follow a simple straight line because life itself doesn’t.

Things like moving countries, relationships, caregiving responsibilities, starting over, or unexpected opportunities often shape the direction of work in ways that don’t look traditional on paper.

But that doesn’t reduce the value of what you’ve done. In fact, it often builds a level of adaptability, resilience, and problem-solving that only comes from experience across different contexts.

Changing the way you see your experience can completely shift how you see your career moving forward. 🙌

Inside the coaching room, you witness a lot of breakthroughs. Sometimes, the biggest insights come from paying attention...
18/05/2026

Inside the coaching room, you witness a lot of breakthroughs. Sometimes, the biggest insights come from paying attention to what the client is NOT saying.

This particular client came into the session feeling demotivated, confused, and underconfident about her career direction. She saw a list of random jobs she had done over the years. I saw a clear pattern across all of them.

The way she spoke about certain roles was very telling. Every time we discussed some career paths, her energy disappeared. Then we uncovered the kind of work that genuinely lit her up, and everything shifted. Her confidence, clarity, and certainty completely changed. 😃

This is something so many people struggle with:
Just because you’re capable of doing something doesn’t mean it’s the thing you should build your life around.

Sometimes the real work is figuring out what actually fits you.

If you need guidance around your career direction, confidence, or leadership journey, reach out. I currently have a few spots open for executive leadership coaching and would love to help. ♥️

13/05/2026

Did that land a little too accurately? 😁

If you’ve ever walked out of a meeting replaying everything you said, questioning whether you sounded confident enough, or wondering why your ideas didn’t land the way you wanted them to, you’re definitely not alone.

A lot of leaders step into senior roles expecting to feel confident the moment they get there. Instead, they find themselves second-guessing how they speak, how they show up, and how they’re perceived in the room.

Executive presence is something many people assume you either naturally have or don’t have at all. In reality, it’s something you learn, develop, and embody over time. The way you communicate, hold yourself, contribute to conversations, and navigate high-level spaces all shape how your leadership is experienced by others.

This is the kind of work we explore in coaching. Helping leaders step into rooms with more clarity, confidence, and presence so their contribution carries the weight it deserves.

If this feels familiar, feel free to DM me and let’s get working ♥️

Most leaders don’t realise they’ve carried old ways of working into roles that now require something different. 🫣The hab...
11/05/2026

Most leaders don’t realise they’ve carried old ways of working into roles that now require something different. 🫣

The habits that once made you successful, being highly reliable, staying on top of everything, and solving problems quickly, can slowly become the very things that leave you overwhelmed and overextended at the leadership level.

Intentional leadership often means stepping back more, trusting others earlier, and letting go of the belief that everything needs to sit with you.

This is the kind of shift we explore in coaching. Looking at the patterns that no longer support the leader you’re becoming and helping you lead in a way that feels more sustainable, clear, and intentional.

If you’re stepping into a more senior leadership role and want support navigating that transition, feel free to send me a message. I’d love to have a conversation. ♥️

09/05/2026

A lot of people assume executive presence is about being the loudest voice in the room, taking over meetings, or sounding constantly polished.

In reality, it’s far less obvious than that.

It usually comes down to three things: clarity in how you communicate, composure when the pressure rises, and confidence that doesn’t tip into ego.

So ask yourself:
🤔Can you explain your ideas without circling them five times?
🤔Can you stay steady when the conversation gets tense or fast-paced?
🤔Can you speak with confidence while still being open to other perspectives?

These are the signals people pick up on, often before they even register what you said.
Most capable leaders already have the expertise. The gap is often how that leadership is expressed in the room, not the knowledge itself.

If you’re ready to strengthen that side of your leadership, I have a few spots open for executive coaching. Send me a DM. ♥️

There’s often far more happening inside a coaching session than people realise.What looks like a conversation on the sur...
06/05/2026

There’s often far more happening inside a coaching session than people realise.

What looks like a conversation on the surface can uncover years of habits, assumptions, pressure, and ways of working that no longer fit the role someone is stepping into.

I’m always struck by how much can shift when someone has the space to pause, reflect, and look at their leadership differently. Sometimes a small shift in perspective changes the way a person approaches decisions, boundaries, delegation, and even the way they carry responsibility.

Many of the leaders I work with come into sessions feeling weighed down by the pressure of having to hold everything together. Over time, they begin to lead with more clarity, confidence, and intention because they’re no longer operating in the same way they always have.

If you’ve recently stepped into an executive leadership role and are finding yourself overwhelmed by the expectations, responsibilities, or decision-making that comes with it, you’re not alone. Learning how to lead at this level often requires a different way of thinking and working.

If coaching is something you’ve been considering, feel free to send me a message. I currently have a few spaces available and would be happy to have a conversation.

05/05/2026

Let me say this clearly: yes, you absolutely can step back and take a break. You don’t have to prioritise tasks that aren’t even yours at the expense of your mental health. 🫡

Most leaders don’t burn out because they’re not capable. They burn out because they never pause.

They plan their work, but not their recovery.

Breaks aren’t indulgent. They’re part of performing well.

You don’t have to earn them. You have to make them non-negotiable. 🙅

Because when you skip them, your focus drops, your patience runs thin, and your decisions aren’t as sharp. Everything starts to feel heavier than it needs to.

You’re not winning any medals for pushing through.

At some point, stepping back is what actually moves you forward.


If you’re constantly running behind tasks that aren’t yours, skipping breaks, and never giving yourself a chance to rese...
04/05/2026

If you’re constantly running behind tasks that aren’t yours, skipping breaks, and never giving yourself a chance to reset, it’s only a matter of time before you feel drained.

“Success” that looks good on paper but costs your peace isn’t really success.

What you need isn’t to push harder. It’s to step back and look at how you’re working. How you manage your time and energy. What’s actually yours to hold, and what isn’t. 🤔

Maybe you already know you’re overgiving, but you’re not sure what needs to change.
Maybe something is holding you back from doing what you already know you should be doing.
Maybe there’s a belief you’ve carried for years that’s quietly shaping how you show up.

This is the kind of work we explore in coaching.

We go beyond the surface and look at what’s really driving how you lead.

The answers are already within you. I help you see them clearly and act on them.

If you’re ready to work differently, I have a few spots open for executive coaching. DM me to learn more. ✨

30/04/2026

Sabotaging your own career rarely happens in obvious ways. It usually shows up in habits that, on the surface, look like strengths.

Working harder, preparing more, solving every problem. Over time, these behaviours start to work against you and quietly drain your energy, time, and focus.

The workplace often rewards these patterns. But here’s what matters, especially at a leadership level:

🙅You don’t have to prove your worth every day.
🙅You don’t have to overgive.
🙅You don’t have to make everyone around you comfortable all the time.

Real progress in your career starts when you protect your energy, time, and priorities with the same intention you bring to your work.

Leadership isn’t about how much you can handle. It’s about how clearly you think, how well you set boundaries, and how intentionally you focus on what is actually yours to own.

I support clients through these shifts so they can stop overburdening themselves and lead in a way that feels sustainable. If that’s something you’re ready for, feel free to send me a message. ✨

One of the ironies of moving into a more senior role is this: the habits that helped you get there can start to work aga...
29/04/2026

One of the ironies of moving into a more senior role is this: the habits that helped you get there can start to work against you. 🫣

Being the reliable one, the one who gets all the work done, and the one who always figures things out are all great traits to have. But at a higher level, they can quietly become unsustainable.

So if you’re feeling overwhelmed and exhausted as a leader, stop asking how to handle more and start deciding that you don’t have to handle everything alone.

Leadership at this level isn’t about doing more. It’s about being more intentional with what you choose to hold.

Could you relate to this post? Comment below!

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