Dr. Sandra L. Abbey

I have had a keen interest in leaders and leadership for over two decades. I have been searching for the secret to great leadership, but I have come to realize that there is no secret sauce. Each person must find their own path along the leadership journey, which involves continuous learning, adapting, overcoming challenges, and making mistakes. As a leader and follower at different times in my life, I have worked at every level, from supervisor to senior executive. I have also taught leadership and management courses to university students, launched leadership development academies and workshops, and offered executive coaching and strategic planning retreats for leadership teams.

Despite my experience, I am still on the continuous leadership learning journey. I have had several career re-starts over the years, including going back to school to earn a master's degree while working full-time at a group of astronomy observatories and starting my own leadership consulting business. Later, while working full-time at a private nonprofit liberal arts university, I pursued and completed a doctorate degree in organizational leadership. This lifetime dedication to leadership has allowed me to integrate academic and research insights with practical, hands-on experience.

Outside of my professional life, I enjoy hiking, camping, kayaking, and immersing myself in nature. I live in Cave Creek, AZ with my husband, and we are delighted by the frequent visits of wildlife such as deer, coyotes, rabbits, bobcats, and javelinas to our property. We have two adult children with whom we maintain traditions such as running a half-marathon annually with our daughter and rock climbing, river rafting, or riding roller coasters with our son.