About Sheila

I’m an executive coach, organizational consultant, and leadership advisor working with founders, senior leaders, and teams navigating growth, change, and uncertainty.

Before launching my coaching and consulting practice, I spent nearly four decades leading leadership development, talent management, and large-scale change inside complex organizations, including 27 years at JPMorgan Chase. I worked closely with senior leaders and teams operating in environments shaped by constant change, high expectations, and sustained pressure to perform.

When it came to change and growth, one pattern became impossible to ignore: the success of change efforts rarely hinged on strategy or talent alone. It hinged on how leadership landed—and whether leaders had the internal capacity to lead through uncertainty without losing themselves or their people in the process.

Success had become increasingly tied to pushing through and moving faster, even when that pace wasn’t sustainable. Leadership development and change management programs were well intentioned, yet they rarely translated into lasting shifts in how people actually operated - especially when familiar behaviors continued to deliver short-term results.

What I came to understand is that under sustained pressure, people default to what feels safest and most familiar. The ability to stay open, curious, and discerning narrows. Collaboration becomes strained, innovation slows, and change becomes harder to sustain - not because strategies are wrong, but because the conditions for deeper change aren’t fully present.

That realization reshaped how I understood leadership.

Why I Do This Work

I wasn’t observing that pressure from the sidelines — I was living inside it.

Even as I made intentional choices to work differently at various points in my career—working part-time while my children were young, prioritizing my health and family, and consistently delivering results—I still felt the unspoken pressure of what success was supposed to look like.

I became deeply curious about a question I couldn’t let go of: how do people actually change and grow in ways that last, particularly when the pressure to perform in the short term is so pervasive? Over time, I realized this question applied not only to my work, but to me personally as well.

While much of my career had been focused on growth and performance inside organizations, I wanted to understand how to sit with the discomfort of growth in a way that allowed me to remain curious and grounded enough to make changes that would last. That search led me beyond traditional corporate frameworks into a deeper exploration of leadership, neuroscience, identity, and presence—to understand the how of real transformation.

What I came to understand, through both professional and lived experience, is that the leaders who make the greatest impact are not the most driven or the most comfortable. They’re the ones who can hold the tension of uncertainty—neither collapsing into overwhelm nor retreating into complacency—while staying curious, clear, and flexible.

When leaders develop the clarity, steadiness, and internal alignment to navigate uncertainty, decisions sharpen, conversations change, and momentum returns.

How I Work Today

Today, I partner with leaders, founders, and organizations who are ready for a more sustainable and effective way of operating.

My work integrates deep executive experience with neuroscience-informed and mindfulness-based approaches to leadership, sustained performance, and change. Through one-on-one coaching, facilitated workshops, and keynote talks, I support leaders in changing how they lead—not by adding more effort, but by strengthening their capacity to stay grounded, discerning, and innovative under pressure.

This work isn’t about fixing people.  It’s about helping leaders and their teams show up in ways that allow performance, growth, and innovation to hold over time.

“Sheila is an expert in leadership and talent management. During our time working together, I saw her ability to partner strategically with executives, lead through complexity, and bring clarity and grounded presence to challenging situations.”

— Allison Kempe, Senior Leader, Messer

What I Believe

My work is grounded in a core belief: you don’t have to sacrifice your well-being - or become someone else - to be successful.

When leaders override themselves in the name of performance, it creates subtle but real costs: loss of energy, clarity, and connection. Over time, those costs show up as burnout, stalled growth, and work that feels heavier than it needs to be.

When leaders operate from alignment - when how they think, decide, and show up reflects who they actually are - work becomes both more effective and more sustainable. People respond differently. Creativity and momentum return. Success feels genuine, not forced.

This belief is reflected in my writing and speaking, including my book, The Power of Living Unscripted, and my TEDx talk on self-trust and transformation.

Beyond the Work

Several years ago, I navigated a significant health challenge that brought these ideas out of theory and into lived experience. It required me to choose, repeatedly, to meet challenges with curiosity rather than resistance.

That period deepened my trust in myself and clarified how I wanted to live and lead. Two months after completing treatment, I made a cross-country move from New York to Southern California without hesitation.

Today, I take daily walks on the beach with my dog and spend time exploring, reflecting, and connecting with friends and my two amazing adult daughters. These rhythms support the steadiness and presence I bring to my clients and to my own life.

A Final Note

I work primarily with leaders and organizations who value depth, discernment, and meaningful change.

I help leaders strengthen how they think, decide, communicate, and lead—especially in moments of growth, pressure, and uncertainty. If you’re looking for a way to lead that’s both effective and sustainable, this work is designed to support you—not by pushing harder, but by helping you stay open to what’s possible as you lead what’s next.