About
I’m Sara Hook. I help those in STEM fields excel in their careers or find a new one!
Leadership Skills Lead to Success
The key to success is to develop leadership skills regardless of your job or stage in life. Whether you lead an organization or aspire to be a thought leader with your technical skills, most people strive to be excellent at what they do.
My mission is to equip those in STEM fields to be exceptional leaders. As a scientist turned executive coach, I bridge the gap between technical expertise and the essential soft skills needed for success in career advancement and leadership roles.
Avoid STEM Leadership Mistakes
With over 30 years of experience in scientific research and administration, I have witnessed many high-ranking leaders make grave mistakes that result in mistrust, stifled productivity, toxic culture, and miserable team members. These individuals are often promoted based on their discoveries and publications rather than their abilities to lead people. According to Gallup® research, choosing effective leaders is one of the most critical decisions an organization can make because people don’t leave organizations; they leave bad bosses.
Limitations of Mentorship
Motivated by my pursuit of excellence, I first sought out formal leadership training as a post-doc. I discovered, however, that traditional mentorship focused mainly on academic skills such as writing and presentations. This realization led me on a decades long journey to understand and develop the traits necessary for effective leadership.
Developing Strengths Leads to Excellence
It wasn’t until many years later when I discovered the CliftonStrengths® assessment developed by Gallup that everything fell into place. The personalized reports revealed my unique combination of talents (natural ways of thinking, feeling, or behaving). I learned that investing in these talents can turn them into strengths that fuel near-perfect performance every day. I realized that leadership growth lies not in focusing on techniques or emulating others, but rather in understanding oneself and others! Strengths are the soft skills that everyone can use!
Through firsthand experience, I realized the tremendous role that strengths play in not only knowing who I am but also what I bring to a role. By strategically utilizing my strengths, I successfully climbed the career ladder, delivered exceptional results, and led multiple teams to achieve remarkable outcomes while embracing my authentic leadership style.
Most Coaches are not Scientists
While mentorship on soft skills and leadership is becoming more prevalent, most executive coaches still come from business or human resources backgrounds. My executive coach was in this category. Although helpful as a sounding board, he didn’t understand the daily challenges I faced. In fact, I spent most of my coaching time explaining scenarios rather than focused on solutions!
Find a Coach Who Understands You
After having mentored countless people that struggled working for inadequate STEM leaders, I felt a new calling. As a result, I left a high-profile job and obtained my Gallup coaching certification in order to change the prevailing culture and approach of impulsive leadership.
By choosing to work with me, you will benefit from my many years of extensive experience and the knowledge gained through attending workshops, participating in training, and reading books. I have distilled the very best practices from these experiences, saving you valuable time and effort. Importantly, I understand the pressures of publish or perish, clinical trials accruals, go-no-go milestones, and the like. Additionally, it is worth noting that there are only a few scientists who hold Gallup-certified strengths coaching credentials.
Align Your Life With Your Talents
Whether you are leading an organization, taking a leadership role for the first time, or seeking a career that lights you up, I repeatedly see that when individuals align their work and life with their natural talents, they not only excel in their roles but also find fulfillment and satisfaction.
Life is too short to struggle alone. Take advantage of STEM leadership coaching and transform your future!
