She Leads: CEO Stories - Sarah Goodall, CEO of Tribal Impact
Sarah Goodall sits at her laptop working on her business, Tribal Impact.
Every month, we highlight the stories of Women CEOs who are leading the way in business. They offer a glimpse into their journeys, along with valuable insights and advice to inspire and empower the next generation of Women CEOs.
In our first interview, we introduce you to the incredible Sarah Goodall, founder and CEO of Tribal Impact, a company focused on connecting business growth to employee influence & advocacy on social media. Sarah is a passionate leader, constantly seeking to grow and connect more deeply with people. According to her LinkedIn, she thrives on adventure, love learning from people and is powered by coffee...and doughnuts.
Here are her insights:
1. When did you realise you would become a CEO?
I never visualised myself as a CEO but I did know that one day I wanted to run my own business, although I didn’t know what the business would be about. On reflection, every role I took and career decision I made was a stepping stone to filling skills gaps.
2. As you stepped into the role, what excited you and scared you the most?
It felt less about stepping into the role and more about growing into the role as the company grew. I do remember changing my official title within the business and reflecting a lot about what the role of CEO meant to me. Moving from Founder and Leader to CEO - a more visionary role focused on strategy and less on operational day-to-day. I wasn’t scared because I have the best team around me, who I trust to drive the business forward.
3. What is something that has surprised you about being a CEO?
Resilience. There’s no course for it, no book that can teach the lessons. It’s just something I had to live through and learn from. Like exercise, the more challenging situations I worked through the more resilient I became. Still working on this.
4. Is there something you attribute to your success as a CEO?
I listen to and learn from others - always have and always will. I believe that no CEO has all the answers. CEOs that inspire me surround themselves with diversity of thinking - they ask for feedback and listen before making decisions. I have experienced mentors, an amazing coach and a team that I trust.
5. What advice would you give to a woman aspiring to become a CEO?
Always be curious - with the people you meet, the books you read, the events you attend and the work that you do. Curiosity takes you places you can’t plan to go - sometimes those places are challenging, sometimes uplifting - but if you don’t go there, you’ll never grow.
6. Finally, what is something you think all Women CEOs would benefit from knowing?
Several books have shaped my thinking that I would recommend to any woman in a leadership position or CEO role.
Dear Female Founder by Li Lu
Thrive by Arianna Huffington
The Power Code by Katty Kay and Claire Shipman (reading this now)
Leadership Mindset 2.0 by Michael Anderson
For more information about Sarah Goodall, find her on LinkedIn & Tribalimpact.com.
