Work With Me

As an executive and leadership coach, group coaching facilitator, and keynote speaker, I specialize in working with individual leaders and groups. The foundation of my work is Unarmored Leadership™, a coaching model I created to help leaders lead without limitations.

Effective Communication

Unarmored leaders excel in communication and use it to build meaningful relationships. This pillar helps leaders understand how our armor can impact our relationships and provides tools to cultivate authentic, collaborative, and effective communication styles.

Executive Presence

Unarmored leaders possess an executive presence that attracts people and puts them at ease. This pillar examines how our armor can negatively impact our energy and how we can become more grounded and welcoming.

Navigating Ambiguity and Change

Unarmored leaders trust themselves when facing ambiguity or leading change. This pillar delves into how to be more comfortable, resourceful, and capable in such situations and how to trust oneself even when the answers aren't clear.

Managing Conflict

Unarmored leaders are comfortable with crucial conversations and healthy conflict. This pillar examines how our armor inhibits us from genuine connection and provides tools for improving emotional intelligence and empathy.

Leading with Empathy

Unarmored leaders are present, attuned, and willing to feel with those they lead. This pillar explores how setting down our armor allows us to truly connect, build psychological safety, and lead with both heart and clarity.

Embodying Confidence

Unarmored leaders lead with a grounded belief in their worth, presence, and capabilities, regardless of external validation. This pillar explores how self-trust disrupts perfectionism, overfunctioning, and self-doubt, creating space for clarity, courage, and authentic impact.

I can deliver my Unarmored Leadership™ Program at your organization in several ways:

Group Coaching Program

My group coaching program allows for group exploration of each pillar, both at the organizational or team level. Includes my Unarmored Leadership Archetype assessment.

1:1 Coaching

As a stand-alone or add-on, 1:1 coaching allows for a more profound and private exploration of your armor and how to dismantle it. Includes my Unarmored Leadership Archetype assessment.

Workshop Series

90-minute workshops on each pillar. Participants will gain insight into how their armor impacts their leadership and learn steps to remove it in each area, becoming more unarmored leaders.

Keynote Speaker

I’m a keynote speaker…

  • "Unarmored Leadership Principles - How to Fearlessly Lead Without Limitations"

  • "Unarmored Leadership Principles for Women - How to Fearlessly Lead Without Limitations"

  • "Susan transformed the way I approach my communications and manage my time and energy. She introduced me to techniques for organizing my thoughts and presenting them clearly and concisely, saving me time and increasing my effectiveness. Another game-changer for me was incorporating pausing, breathing, and transition statements to manage my stress levels and respond more thoughtfully in high-pressure situations. Setting boundaries and establishing non-negotiable time for myself was another critical area. The coaching experience has been invaluable, and I highly recommend Susan – she has appreciably impacted my life!"  

    Adrianne Collins, SVP & Chief Procurement Officer, Southern Company

  • "I had the pleasure of participating in a LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® workshop led by Susan Eckstein, and it was both enjoyable and impactful. Even those who were initially skeptical about using LEGO® in a professional development workshop were impressed by the process. This unique approach allowed everyone in the room to share their ideas and work together in a new way towards a shared goal. Building LEGO® models together enabled the entire QuotaPath team to see that they all have similar aspirations when it comes to effective collaboration. This event also brought our team closer together. I highly recommend Susan Eckstein for her exceptional facilitation of LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY®."

    Carrie Carroll, Director of People Operations

  • "When I reached out to Susan, I asked her to work with me to build my confidence so I could walk across a stage, accept an award, and give a short speech. Susan guided me through some of the most rewarding work I have ever done. I learned more about myself – my real self – than I ever thought possible. With Susan as my coach, not only did I walk confidently across that stage several months later, but I learned to step into my full power as a woman and as an executive, as I transformed into my true authentic self. Susan changed my life. She can change yours, too!"

    Liz Meyers, Executive Vice President of Purchasing and Global Procurement, Darby

  • "Susan is a powerhouse of a coach! She always shows up with such presence and she consistently asks powerful questions. Each session with her pushes me to reflect and consider the lens I am using to look at situations. Through this work, I gain incredible insights and perspectives that help me shift my behavior and thinking patterns. As a coach myself, I am very picky about who I work with, and Susan is one of my go-to coaches whenever I need to think something through. That is the highest compliment I can give. If you are feeling stuck or need a powerful reframe, Susan is your woman. I cannot recommend working with her enough!"

    Dominique Mas, CEO of Group Coaching HQ

  • "I feel very fortunate to have found the right coach for me! Susan is truly amazing and an expert in her field. Her honest, straight-forward, laser focused approach was appreciated. Our thought-provoking sessions inspired me to become who I was meant to be, and her direct advice was spot on every step of the way. She instills confidence, balance, and harmony in her clients and provides them with lifelong tools and knowledge to move ahead not only at work, but in life."

    Cami Cooley, Director of Academic Planning, College of Southern Maryland