Susan Goldberg Spotlight
1. Current Role & Organization
I’m an independent leadership and team development consultant. My firm is Susan Goldberg Leadership Consulting.
2. Tell us about your role and what you're passionate about in your work.
I fell into leadership development as a consequence of retained executive search work with younger executives who didn’t have the training or the people-experience for their positions. The challenges they faced and the frustration they spoke about caused me to co-author a book for new leaders, “Leadership in Wonderland”. It’s a story and workbook combined based on Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
I’m passionate about recognizing unseen talent and potential. When I work with a team, I love seeing each individual for who they are, identifying what’s missing from the team, and helping to activate the strengths that are there and could have been previously unnoticed. Nothing excites me more than watching leaders and team members collaborate, learn from one another, and realize just how much they can achieve together.
3. How long have you been a PSC member, and what inspired you to join?
I’ve been a member for about eight or nine years. I first heard about PSC (then NYHRPS) at an Organizational Design Association event in New Jersey. At the time, I realized I needed to better understand HR professionals—what drives them, what they need, and how I could support their work. Coming from a business and marketing background rather than HR, joining felt like the best way to bridge that gap.
4. What’s kept you engaged in the PSC community?
The people. PSC is full of curious, generous, and inspiring members who genuinely enjoy learning from and connecting with one another. Serving as co-president has also kept me deeply engaged, as I’ve had the chance to help shape the organization’s direction.
5. What's something others may not know about you—or a topic you'd love to connect with fellow members on?
I’m a connector—that’s who I am at my core. I love putting people and ideas together, uncovering unexpected synergies, and solving problems creatively. I can’t work in silos, and I don’t see organizations in just one dimension—everything is connected for me.
On a lighter note: I keep a little Disney character called Figment on my desk. He reminds me to spark imagination and always look at things from a fresh perspective.
6. Is there a resource (book, article, podcast, etc.) you recommend to fellow members?
I often listen to The Leadership Podcast, which features conversations with leaders from around the world. I find it fascinating to hear about trends and challenges in industries outside my own—it broadens how I think about leadership. I also enjoy Creative Pep Talk. It’s geared toward artists, but it helps me think about branding, creativity, and even how we might expand PSC’s voice and mission. And On Our Minds which is a podcast about what’s on the minds of high school students (I am on the Board of my former prep school. Both things offer a perspective into what younger professionals value and how they think). And lastly my friend, Will Wright’s show, I Am Self-ish, a life coach’s honest, vulnerable and insightful look at things that affect all of us.
