Suzanne Rotondo, MPA
Principal
Suzanne is the founding Principal of Redshift Leadership, a consultancy that specializes in leadership and culture, with a deep expertise in the brain science research underlying emotional intelligence and organizational dynamics. As an experienced executive coach, leadership consultant, retreat session facilitator, and advisor to Boards of Directors and senior teams, Suzanne leads Redshift Leadership and personally commits herself to supporting both innovative for-profit clients and social justice organizations across a range of areas including human rights, gender/racial equity, access to economic opportunities, progressive policy/advocacy, sustainability, state/local government and game-changing problem solvers.
In this work, the focus is to build high performing teams through not only what is done, but how it is done, often in an effort to lead, problem-solve and implement change across organizations undergoing enormous transformation due to both internal and external shifts. Suzzane is accustomed to high pressure, high impact engagements with clients.
Over the last 15 years, Suzanne has worked with a variety of social justice organizations and non-profits including the Obama Foundation, Natural Resource Defense Council (NRDC), Open Society Foundation, Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), Georgie Badiel Foundation, Sierra Club, The Ad Council, Ford Foundation, Mosaic, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Healthcare without Harm, NYC LGBT Center, Philadelphia Mayor’s Office, City Manager’s Office City of Eugene, and Amna (formerly Refugee Trauma Initiative).
Suzanne draws upon extensive experience from her on-going work with select private sector companies, primarily in the media/entertainment sector, including Netflix, BuzzFeed, MTV, ASCAP, Disney, Paramount Studios, CBSViacom, NBCUniversal, Downtown Music, Apollo, eOne, Siemen’s Healthineers, and Spinmaster.
Prior to Redshift, Suzanne was Executive Director at Teleos Leadership Institute, and was a Senior Editor at Harvard Business Publishing. Suzanne holds a Masters of Public Administration from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and is an alum of the Gestalt Institute of Cleveland’s IOS program, as well as Robert Gass’s Art of Transformational Consulting program. Redshift Leadership makes annual donations of 5% of revenue to organizations that make a positive difference including Mijentes, Doctors without Borders, Howard University’s Prince Jones’ Scholarship Fund, CARE International, God’s Love We Deliver (nutrition delivery), Philabundance, NY Lawyers for Public Interest, Healthcare for the Homeless Clinicians’ Network, UNHC for the Rights of Refugees, and Breast Cancer Research.
Suzanne lives with her spouse, Karima Zedan, who leads a large community investment program to close the digital divide for low income Americans, and their teenager, in Philadelphia.
The Science Behind Our Practice
Our work is grounded in established methodologies and models of human and organizational behavior, including, but not limited to the following:
Emotional Intelligence
The competencies of emotional intelligence (self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and relationship management) account for an individual’s ability to understand their own and others’ emotions and use that information to guide decision-making and action. Research has shown that leaders who master the competencies of emotional intelligence have a distinct advantage.
Positivity & Resilience
The incredible developments in neuroscience research over the last several decades have enabled a greater understanding of how practices that promote positivity and resilience—both individually and organizationally—have a significant and lasting impact on our capacity for creative thinking, productivity, efficiency, empathy, focus and more.
Intentional Change
Developed by Richard Boyatzis, the Intentional Change Model underpins successful leadership development programs by supporting an individual or group in intentionally moving through five stages of change that close the gap between a current “real” self and a clearly articulated “ideal” self.
Appreciative Inquiry
Appreciative Inquiry, developed by David Cooper Rider, is a strengths-based model of analysis, decision-making and strategic change that clarifies the assets and motivations that are an organization’s strengths in order to build or rebuild an organization based on what is working rather than trying to fix what doesn’t.
Resistance and Cycle of Change
People are at their most creative in their resistance. The Gestalt cycle of change maps the critical stages of change that all members of a group must experience in order to optimize success and minimize resistance. Disruption of the cycle manifests in very specific levels of resistance that can be effectively mitigated through intentional responses.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness is the awareness that one develops through paying attention to the present moment through your five senses without judgment. In addition to relieving stress and building resilience, even a simple mindfulness practice can significantly expand your range of options in any given moment. Incorporating mindfulness into any process of change or development supports an individual or group by rewiring the brain for more intentional responses and behaviors.
Dynamic Inquiry
Dynamic Inquiry, developed by Annie McKee and the Teleos Leadership Institute, is a method of discovery that uncovers an organization’s emotional reality–what people care about, what is working well, and what’s getting in the way. The purpose of the inquiry is twofold: 1) to identify underlying issues related to culture and leadership that are helping or hindering implementation of a strategy; and 2) to build ownership and commitment to the mission, vision, strategy, ideal culture and leadership framework among key stakeholders.