Sally Henderson is no stranger to uncomfortable situations. As a High-Stakes Leadership Mentor, she works with the top executives at some of the world’s most well-known brands and agencies, helping the best of the best become even better. Working at this level means she’s intimate with the non-stop pressures of leading a successful business, and she has the experience and positive energy necessary to provide the listening, understanding, and actionable methods to help these senior leaders move forward. 

Sally's work goes beyond traditional coaching or mentoring, equipping clients with the emotional and practical toolkit to clearly and quickly achieve success and address challenges. And it’s all done in her hallmark supportive yet unreserved fashion, something owners, executives and senior leadership may not be used to, but always find refreshing and useful. 

We sat down with Sally to learn more about her services and clients, the trickle-down effect that investing in senior leadership has in both the short- and long-term, why self-trust is a mandatory asset for agency leaders, and how the motto “I only work with the naked truth as this will always conquer” guides every client engagement. 

WPI >> Tell us about yourself and your company. What types of agencies do you work with? What services do you provide? 

Sally >> I’m Sally Henderson, High-Stakes Leadership Mentor and Author of The Real Method. I specialise in working with Owners, Executive Teams and Senior Leaders to equip them with the emotional and practical toolkit to excel - especially at key pivotal moments of growth and change.

I work across all disciplines and shapes of agency, from Independent to the big networks and have been supporting agency leaders with development and talent since 2000. I also work with brands which helps me retain a healthy understanding between the agency / client dynamics.

Clients include Accenture Song, Coca-Cola, Distillery, Dragon Rouge, Elmwood, Forbes, IPA, IPG, M&C Saatchi, Mr. President, MSQ, NatWest, Nestlé, Next15, Publicis Sapient, Saatchi & Saatchi, Stormbrands, Sweaty Betty, What’s Possible Group.

Using the fundamentals of The Real Method, whilst ensuring each engagement remains bespoke, my services focus on leadership development and mentoring. 

I take the best and make them better. Clients usually engage me from 6 months to 2 years working with the executive team via group programmes or Away Days and business owners and senior leaders via 1-1 mentoring sessions. Full details of my services can be found here. 

WPI >> What are the biggest challenges you’re seeing clients face today?

Sally >> Overwhelm, burnout and decision fatigue. 

It’s been a big 4 years for everyone in every country and across all disciplines. Pressure on business owners has been unrelenting. The unpredictability of the world, market challenges and pace of change has meant agency owners and leaders have had to constantly keep evolving, pivoting, restructuring and adapting. All whilst retaining personal high energy, resilience and brilliant delivery to clients, colleagues and employees alike.

The reality is that people are tired, as well as remaining ambitious and positive for the future. The time for specialist support, sharing the burden and benefiting from being connected with positive energy sources with practical support has never been greater.  

WPI >> What excites you about working with agencies for high-stakes leadership mentoring?

Sally >> The speed in which I can affect positive change and growth that directly benefits the key leaders (who often put themselves at the bottom of a very long list of priorities!) and that the tools and methods I teach my clients can be used to improve efficiency, retain talent and accelerate growth and potential across both the key leaders and the whole agency.

I’ve worked with agencies for over 24 years now and simply love it. There is such a wonderful buzz from agencies. The power of harnessing unique culture and the marriage of creativity with commerce is always so uplifting and exciting to be part of when I partner with my clients. 

WPI >> Have you seen a shift in the types of programmes or topics that clients are requesting over the last few years? 

Sally >> Clients are thankfully recognising the importance of two things:

Firstly, the need to put themselves first when it comes to development and growth. It doesn’t make sense to me that ‘Leaders Eat Last’ when leaders have to ensure that everyones’ energy, focus and delivery is optimised - to do this they have to know how to do this for themselves.

Secondly, investing in senior team development brings such a positive impact to the growth and realising ambition across the business faster, more effectively and for the long-term. Leadership development is now being seen as an imperative investment and competitive advantage over a ‘nice-to-have cost’.

As a result, clients are committing to longer-term programmes with me and taking a group of leaders on the journey over just one or two key people. 

Topics have remained consistent on wanting sustainable high-performance, to have greater confidence as a senior leader, to ensure leadership skills are developing across the business and to retain the best people. I am seeing a growing trend in 2024 for greater Intentional Leadership. 

WPI >> Your trademarked leadership programme, The Real Method, goes beyond traditional coaching or mentoring programs. Tell us what makes this program so unique and impactful.

Sally >> The Real Method™ fills a crucial gap in leadership development - a ‘third lane’ - that goes beyond classic coaching or traditional mentoring.

Giving my clients a clear roadmap to achieve success faster and to address challenges with less stress and anxiety, my bespoke programme focuses on the often overlooked areas of growth that senior and successful teams and leaders require to thrive.

It offers a powerful blend of structured proven methodologies, tools and frameworks whilst ensuring each and every client benefits from a bespoke engagement. 

Unlike a lot of pure coaching programs, the benefit with using The Real Method is that you can access results immediately as well as over the long-term.

WPI >> You spoke at our Symposia23 Global Summit in Athens last year on “Mastering the Art of Trusting Yourself.” Why is self trust so crucial for agency leadership?

Sally >> Self-trust is vital for agency leadership as it permeates everywhere.

Agency leaders have got to make fast effective decisions and to ensure they correctly predict the future. This requires excellent connection with your talent, your clients and the market. 

Connection is never fully established if/ when self-trust is lacking. We are animalistic beings and can sense when someone backs themselves and when they don’t. Self-trust is the crucial component to back yourself as a leader so others will follow. 

WPI >> At Symposia23, you also discussed the difference between a “need” and a “want.” Tell us why you believe it is so important for leaders to distinguish between these words.

Sally >> Because it creates greater self-awareness about what is driving you as a leader. Fear and uncertainty (need) or goals and growth (wants). 

Need to me illustrates when a person is actually submissive to an idea or goal. Logically they know it is something that they want to be doing but they are not fully committing in a positive way when they express it as a need. They are less likely to see the idea or action through to success.

Want on the other hand indicates to me a person is genuinely wishing to achieve what they are setting out to accomplish - they are coming at the challenge / goal with a positive mindset and are much more likely to achieve success faster and with a better result. 

Words are very powerful for showing us true motivations, beliefs, fears, doubts and desires if you know what to look out for. 

WPI >> You’ve stated that the most successful people are also often the most isolated at work. How do you help people overcome this challenge to feel more connected and fulfilled?

Sally >> By listening, understanding and providing practical actionable ways to move forward. 

It sounds obvious, but when I work with my clients they have the opportunity to talk to me in a way like no other. I am not someone they are responsible for, have power over or need to impress. I am wholly neutral and dedicated to their success, development and growth.  

I offer a different perspective that practically and emotionally equips successful people to develop as a senior leader in a way utterly tailored to their needs, goals and desired results. The result is the person feels seen, heard and understood. They become better equipped with structured steps to make positive change. This creates greater wellbeing, connection and high-performance.

I will support and challenge clients in equal measure and my clients find this very refreshing. I have a privileged role where I can, and do, say exactly what I think and what’s going to be of best service for my clients’ needs. Even when this is uncomfortable for me to say and for my client to hear. 

I have a saying ‘I only work with the naked truth as this will always conquer’. When you reach a certain seniority and success level as an agency owner it becomes harder and harder to have trusted relationships where people fearlessly tell you the naked truth without any agenda or additional need associated.

WPI >> In a previous life you were a Head Hunter. How does that experience help you today when working with senior teams and leaders?

Sally >> I have many (many!) more than the magic ‘10,000’ hours’ as coined by Malcolm Gladwell working at the absolute coal-face of what makes agencies win, and fail, through talent, leadership and culture. 

I deeply understand agency life and saw first hand the mistakes agency owners made over-and-over again.   When it came to bringing in exceptional senior people to drive change in a newly created role that role would too often fall over as organ rejection happened because no-one was ensuring the process was properly managed and the key decision makers were receiving the right support, advice and challenge to change behavious accordingly. 

Change can only happen with change. Agency owners can be, understandably, notoriously challenging when it comes to changing their own behaviour; especially when the stakes are high. 

I can’t think of a better apprenticeship to have undertaken to prepare me for my career and professional purpose which is High-Stakes Leadership Mentoring. 

WPI >> Leaders come in all shapes and sizes. But are there any key characteristics that you see in all of the successful leaders you work with?

Sally >> The simple answer is a growth mindset. 

A more detailed response is the key characteristics I see in all the successful leaders I work with are:

• A belief in the mission that is greater than themselves with the understanding success comes from the sum of the parts

• A positive attitude to challenge. To see the growth opportunities not the blockers that come with ambition and the unknown 

• Genuinely decent values as a human. I can only work with what I can work with! 

• Commitment to do the work - I can equip my clients with all the tools, techniques and opportunity for growth in the world. I can’t do the work for them to put this to good use 

• And last but not least, a sense of humour. Being able to laugh with others and not take oneself too seriously, really is an under-rated super power! 

This article is an installment in a series where Worldwide Partners speaks with experienced consultants and service providers who are part of our WPI Faculty. Check back for more interviews with our industry’s leading consultants in PR, business development, financial services and more.