Growing Edge Leadership

I work with clients who push themselves to their growing edge, becoming a better version of themselves, capable of overcoming barriers, creating lasting impact, and carving a career path with purpose.

About Susan:

Susan brings 20+ years of Coaching and Leadership Learning and Talent Development with some of the world's top institutions. Recognized as a pragmatic and results-oriented coach, Susan aligns a leader's self-awareness with strategic priorities and contextual relevance. As a professional development leader with McKinsey & Co for 10 + years, Susan led both Professional Development and Learning functions, balancing a direct style with a gentle 'bedside manner' to help all leaders understand, identify and fulfill their potential as both business leaders and humans. As an independent Coach and learning leader in the San Francisco Bay Area for 10+ years, Susan’s client list included well-known tech enterprise organizations (e.g., Google School of Leaders, LinkedIn, Twitch, Twilio), professional services firms (McKinsey, TCV Investments, Gryphon Investments, Cornerstone Research, Hellman & Friedman), banks (State Street and Wells Fargo) and medical device companies (Allergan, McKesson), serving these companies on a portfolio of coaching and learning challenges. As the first Employee Experience hire at a KKR-backed biotech (BridgeBio/BBIO) in SF, Susan built out the learning agenda and professional development function. While a Senior Partner at Modern Executive Solutions, Susan was trained in long-form Executive Assessments for Selection, integrating Hogan and biographical interviews for Executive Selection. CERTIFICATION: ICF Certified Coach; Predictive Index; Hogan Executive Assessment; GallupStrengths; MBTI

With focus:

Performance Coaching
Helping her clients develop keen self-awareness and understanding of their leadership profile and impact ‘in the room,' Susan guides clients to leverage and manage their strengths to accomplish their best performance, identify and align with goals, all while measuring impact and success. > Integrating qualitative 360s and Psychometric tools to establish awareness > Managing strengths to best effectiveness > Accountability to drive forward toward the growing edge of leadership
Professional Transitions
Whether Integration Coaching for onboarding new Executives based on the seminal work by Michael Watkins First 90 Days, or managing a professional pivot upon leaving a role, Susan mixes a structured process designed to build awareness and alignment with values and strengths, with reflection and accountability. > Onboarding New Executives > Making the Most Out of a Professional Transition
Pairs/Professional Dynamics Coaching
Sometimes key stakeholders, co-founders, Executive Teams and collaborative colleagues find themselve in unproductive conflict that drains valueable time and energy from business effectiveness. Susan works with pairs and teams to uncover the root cause of conflict and helps guide resolution to more effective collaboration. > Integrating a 360/'outside-in' perspective with complementary Psychometric analysis > A blend of one:one with each party and paired coaching
Executive Candidate & Talent Assessment
  • A fair and objective talent assessment process -- integrating both quantitative psychometrics and qualitative, long form biographical interviews and stakeholder 360 contributions – supports a rigorous and unbiased talent selection/acquisition and talent development pipeline. > Certified: Hogan; Predictive Index; Strengthsfinders certified
  • >Long-form biographical interview testing for appropriate leadership principles, values or competencies
  • >360 qualitative stakeholder input when appropriate


Design & Delivery of Custom Learning Experiences
Whether working with teams over time to achieve more effective trust and alignment, or designing a custom learning journey, we work with leaders and groups to help them understand what their talents look like, how to purposefully use them and how to work around areas or build strengths where they may be lacking. >Workshops and small group learning to build ‘evergreen’ leadership strengths (e.g., People leadership capability building) > Cadenced team interventions (e.g., Building of a high performing team)

Support for Talent Management organization, strategy and structure

Environments that foster the discretionary motivation and expansion of talent within its workforce have performance management processes that inspire and cultivate the best performance within the organization,yet provide a fair and transparent approach to evaluating performance and awarding advancement. > Process design > Values, Skills & Capabilities frameworks > Integration across Talent Lifecycle (e.g., Recruitment; Onboarding; Professional Development)

Get In Touch

Susan Jones Growing Edge Leadership M: 510-325-3327 E: susan@GrowingEdgeLeadership.com Scheduling: Calendly