Positivity & Purpose: Emotional Well-being as a Cornerstone of Effective Leadership
When you meet Dr. Susan Glover, the first thing you notice is her infectious energy. You know from the start that she is authentically engaged and supportive. Susan feels very blessed in her life and career to pursue her passion for empowering and supporting women and children. Susan’s journey from candy striper to CEO offers a compelling perspective on blending personal passion with professional purpose. She is living proof that true leadership is not about titles, but about the positive, lasting impact one has on others.
Susan’s early professional experiences in medical service gave Susan a profound understanding of how circumstances—sometimes just a single choice—can change the trajectory of a life. As a candy striper and later a critical care nurse, Susan saw the best and worst of our society. This work intimately connected her with people at their most vulnerable and their very strongest.
Through these experiences, Susan developed a deep awareness of the critical role mental health plays in personal resilience and recovery. She has since carried this understanding into her leadership and coaching work, advocating for emotional well-being as a cornerstone of effective leadership.
In her work as a business leader and executive coach, Susan collaborates with professionals in their leadership journey. Guiding others on their journey feeds Susan’s passion: empowering people and teaching them to know themselves in order to lead others. This internal work is as professionally powerful as it is personal.
Susan explores this powerful connectedness of our interior world and external experiences in the recently released, Kinected: A Guide for Optimizing Leadership Performance, Effectiveness, and Joy from the Inside Out. A central theme in this compelling book is Susan’s philosophy of connecting to one's true self. She emphasizes that mental health and emotional balance are key to breaking free from external pressures and achieving lasting, meaningful success.
Susan’s work with Champions for Children resonates for Susan as she has seen firsthand the razor thin edge between those who have access to mental health support and opportunities to be successful and those that do not.
Amidst all these endeavors, Susan does find time to recharge and reconnect with her family. Her next adventure takes her to France: a river cruise from Paris to Normandy, particularly meaningful as her husband Rich served in the Navy.
Advice to professionals: Be more curious than certain.
“What's interesting about a career in healthcare, you start maybe by touching patients, then you end up touching people that are touching patients. And then as you move into the executive world, you're touching leaders who are touching people who are touching patients.
"You have to ground yourself each day. If you don’t, no one else will."
"Women in leadership must master the complicated dance of power and grace, with the right blend of basic principles and innovation."
Photos: new author! & My favorite place with my favorite people! My husband Rich and daughter Victoria.
