Meet Sandra

I've never believed that leadership belongs only to those with a title.

Whether we're leading a team, an organization, a business or simply navigating our own lives, leadership isn't something we switch on at work and leave behind at home. It influences how we communicate, how we make decisions and how we respond when circumstances change.

That's why I started Fish in Water Leadership.

My goal isn't simply to help people become better leaders. It's to help them feel more at home in leadership itself – approaching the challenges of leadership with greater clarity, confidence and intention.

My coaching style is often described as challenging in the right ways – creating a space where people feel both supported and stretched. Together, we'll explore the situations you're navigating, question assumptions that may be holding you back and identify practical ways of moving forward with greater clarity and confidence.

I built my career across international humanitarian aid and development, criminal justice and social impact. I worked across eight countries on five continents, leading multinational teams and contributing to change

Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality

Warren Bennis

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at community, organizational, national and global levels – all in environments where decisions carried meaningful consequences for both people and the systems that served them. I also co-founded a youth leadership NGO, giving me first-hand experience of building an organisation from the ground up.

Despite how different those environments were, I found myself returning to many of the same leadership questions. Different countries, cultures and sectors, yet the same conversations about communication, trust, judgement and decision-making.

That's the lens I bring into my work today. Whether I'm coaching an individual leader or working with a business or organization, my role is to create the space to think more clearly, build confidence in your own judgement and develop practical ways of approaching the leadership questions that continue long after our work together.

My own learning continues too. Alongside my professional experience, I hold a certificate in Leadership and Performance Coaching from Brown University and am an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) with the International Coaching Federation (ICF). I believe the best leaders remain curious about people, about themselves and about the world around them.

Leadership is never finished. I hope you continue making time to reflect, grow and find your place in the water.

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"I felt stuck in my career and wasn’t sure what direction to take next. Sandra's exercises mapped out my values and strengths, which helped me clearly see what I truly wanted to pursue with specific goals created for my transition. She was great with following up to make sure I kept accountable"

Karim H., Network Operations Manager, USA