Sandra J. Horton is a well-known author and speaker who offers valuable insights and practical strategies for today's organizational challenges. As a systemic leadership sustainability strategist, she penned "Activate Success: Tips, Tools and Insights to be a Leaders in Your Niche," a book packed with 27 activators to help leaders excel in diverse situations.

Sandra's take on sustainable leadership highlights the importance of aligning values and being ready to address and adapt to rapid change. By promoting mindful, empathetic, and proactive leadership, she urges leaders to build resilience, support their teams effectively, and navigate change with clarity and ethical integrity.

Here are the highlights of our conversation:

- Leadership Requires Conscious Change Management: Sandra emphasizes that many leaders stand in a reactionary mode, making decisions under stress rather than responding thoughtfully. She advocates for leaders to raise their consciousness, pause, and assess their approach to change before reacting.

- Change Readiness: In our current environment, leaders must be prepared to navigate barriers and the moving complexities of business.

- Effective Communication in Change Management: One of the biggest reasons change initiatives fail is the lack of clear communication. Leaders must explain the ‘what and how’ of change and the ‘why’, ensuring alignment with team values and fostering trust.

-The Importance of Self-Awareness and Adaptability: Sandra highlights the need for leaders to understand their change tendencies. Some naturally embrace change, while others prefer stability. Leaders should be mindful of their emotional triggers and practice "pattern interruption" to control their responses.

-Creating Psychological Safety and Collaboration: Leaders should encourage curiosity, open dialogue, and co-creation in decision-making, ensuring alignment across different personality types and work styles.

- The Power of Sustainable Leadership: True leadership sustainability is about maintaining personal energy and resilience. Leaders must manage their emotional states, practice self-care, and create environments where teams can thrive without burnout.

About the guest:

Sandra J. Horton is a Systemic Leadership Sustainability Strategist, Executive Coach, and Speaker, dedicated to helping CEOs, executives, and senior leaders create sustainable, high-impact leadership models that prevent burnout, build resilient teams, and drive long-term organizational success.

As the Founder of Activate Success Edge and creator of the Activate Success Roadmap, Sandra provides executive coaching, consulting, and leadership workshops that empower leaders to navigate disruption, foster adaptability, and implement systemic change. With an MA in Leadership, certifications in Change Management (PROSCI) & Emotional Intelligence (EQ-i 2.0/360), and years of experience guiding executives through transformation, she equips leaders with the tools to lead with clarity, confidence, and long-term impact.

Connect with Sandra:

Website: www.activatesuccess.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandra-j-horton/

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/sandrajhorton

Connect with Allison:

Feedspot has named Disruptive CEO Nation as one of the Top 25 CEO Podcasts on the web, and it is ranked the number 6 CEO podcast to listen to in 2025! https://podcasts.feedspot.com/ceo_podcasts/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonsummerschicago/

Website: https://www.disruptiveceonation.com/ 

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