Policy, strategy, governance and leadership support for public-purpose organisations navigating complexity, accountability and reform.
I work with leaders to clarify direction, strengthen decision-making, and build practical approaches to policy, organisational and system challenges.
How I can help
Leadership, coaching & team development
Coaching and team support focused on strengthening leadership, team culture and performance.
Strategy & Planning
Designing and facilitating strategy and planning processes, including planning days, strategic plans and business plans.
Policy & Reform
Targeted work to define complex problems, develop practical options and identify solutions that improve outcomes.
Stakeholder Engagement & Facilitation
Bringing people together to gather insights, co-design solutions, generate ideas and improve services and service design.
A practical, system-aware approach
I bring a calm, structured approach to complex issues — helping leaders make sense of competing priorities, clarify the decisions that matter, and build confidence in the path forward.
Services
I support public-purpose organisations and leaders to strengthen leadership and team performance, clarify strategy and priorities, solve complex policy and service challenges, and engage stakeholders to turn ideas into practical action.
Leadership, coaching & team development
For leaders and teams looking to strengthen leadership, improve ways of working and build confidence, clarity and effectiveness. This may include:
executive and leadership coaching
leadership development and transition support
team effectiveness, culture and ways of working
facilitated team reset and bespoke development sessions
practical tools and support to strengthen performance, capability and confidence
Strategy & planning
For organisations needing to clarify direction, set priorities and translate strategy into practical action. This may include:
strategic and business planning and development, including workshops
planning days and leadership offsites
translating strategy into priorities, actions and measures
reviewing and refreshing existing plans
Policy & reform
For organisations needing focused analysis, practical advice and support to work through complex policy, service or implementation challenges. This may include:
defining complex policy and service problems
evidence-informed policy development
options analysis and decision support
implementation and reform advice
service and program review
evaluation to support better outcomes
Stakeholder engagement & facilitation
For organisations needing to bring people together, gather useful insights and move from discussion to practical action. This may include:
stakeholder engagement session design and facilitation
workshops, roundtables and consultation processes
co-design and ideation
gathering and synthesising stakeholder insights via interviews, workshops or surveys
service design and service improvement
facilitating complex or sensitive discussions
Coaching - work with me
I offer coaching for senior and emerging leaders who are looking for structured, reflective support to lead with greater clarity, judgement and confidence in complex environments.
"Sarah's coaching provided a valuable combination of reflection, challenge and practical action. It helped me build confidence as a leader and develop sustainable and effective leadership practices. I felt progress was immediately unlocked, and each session built on the last.”
Laura Halfpenny
Manager, Organisational Strategy, Department of Health
This coaching is designed for leaders navigating complexity, transition, influence, organisational change, or questions about their next stage of leadership.The coaching process includes six one-hour sessions, held every two to three weeks.
What we might work on
Depending on your goals, coaching may focus on:
clarifying your leadership strengths and next steps
navigating a complex role, system or stakeholder environment
building confidence and influence
preparing for a new role, promotion, board opportunity or career transition
strengthening your decision-making and leadership judgement
reflecting on patterns, challenges and opportunities in your leadership practice.
What to expect
The coaching is practical, structured and reflective. It is designed to help you step back from day-to-day demands, make sense of what is happening, and identify useful actions.
About
SN Leadership & Strategy is led by Sarah Nesbitt, a policy, strategy, governance and leadership advisor and coach with more than 16 years’ executive experience across complex public sector systems.
I have worked closely with Ministers, central agencies, regulators, boards, senior executives and service delivery organisations across health, human services, treasury and finance portfolios. My work has focused on complex issues requiring clear policy thinking, sound judgement, strong stakeholder engagement and practical implementation. My leadership of teams, units and branches has focused on building high performance and a strong delivery culture, underpinned by continual development of individual and team capability.
I bring a system-wide perspective to policy, strategy and organisational challenges. My work is grounded in an understanding of how public-purpose systems operate — including the importance of clear roles, evidence, governance, accountability, culture and the conditions that support effective implementation.
I am a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and have contributed to governance and advisory roles across community, education and local government settings.
My approach
I combine strategic thinking, policy judgement and practical delivery experience. I work best with leaders and organisations who want thoughtful, honest and practical support.
My work is grounded in:
clear thinking about purpose, policy intent, roles and accountabilities
evidence-informed decision-making
proportionate governance and risk oversight
practical implementation, beyond strategy documents
respectful challenge and structured reflection
attention to people, culture and system dynamics.
Contact
For advisory, coaching or facilitation enquiries, please email [email protected] or connect with me on LinkedIn.
I am based in Melbourne and work with clients across government, health, human services, education, not-for-profit and purpose-led organisations.