Speaker Spotlight: Sue Orchard

Speaker Spotlight: Leading with Presence, Play, and Purpose

For this Elevate Leaders spotlight, we’re excited to introduce a speaker whose leadership journey began not with a title—but with curiosity.

Their path was inspired first by self-discovery and growth. Studying psychology wasn’t about choosing a career; it was about learning how to better understand emotions, relationships, personal values, and how to navigate the world more effectively. That inner work sparked a desire to help others develop the same insight and skills, ultimately leading to a career in student affairs—supporting not only student growth and development, but also staff leadership and organizational change.

A Pivotal Shift: Learning to Improvise

A recent and powerful turning point in both their personal and professional journey came from an unexpected place: improv.

What began as learning a new skill quickly became a leadership philosophy. By applying the foundational principles of improv to workplace culture, this speaker began developing division-wide activities centered on embracing an improv mindset. The results were transformative.

Improv demands presence. It requires active listening, collaboration, quick thinking, and responsiveness—all essential leadership skills. But just as importantly, it brings joy and play into the work. In a time when burnout and rigidity dominate many workplaces, this approach has helped create healthier, more connected, and more adaptive cultures.

Leadership Style That Meets People Where They Are

When asked to describe their leadership and teaching style in three words, the answer is simple and powerful: accessible, flexible, and intentional. These qualities reflect a deep understanding of today’s leadership reality. Leaders—and people in general—are facing tremendous challenges. In response, this speaker grounds their work in fundamentals that sustain both individuals and teams.

Leadership Advice That Lasts

The best advice they’ve received - and the advice they offer others centers on four essential practices:

• Care for yourself. Leadership is unsustainable without physical, emotional, and mental well-being.

• Live intentionally into your values. Especially during difficult moments, values provide clarity and direction.

• Cultivate healthy relationships. Leadership is not solo work—we need each other.

• Keep perspective. Everything changes. Zoom out, stay grounded, and hold on.

These principles aren’t flashy—but they’re transformative.

Why Elevate Leaders Matters

This speaker is excited to be part of Elevate Leaders because of its commitment to making learning fun, accessible, and meaningful. The conference’s unique scope and format reflect a belief they hold deeply: leadership development should be engaging, inclusive, and human-centered.

If attendees remember one message long after the event, this is it:

Everyone is a leader.
Titles don’t make leaders - actions do.

People won’t remember job titles or exact words. They’ll remember how leaders showed up, spoke up, treated others, and followed through. Those are the behaviors that resonate—and the skills that can be learned, practiced, and developed by anyone.

And that belief sits at the heart of everything this speaker brings to Elevate Leaders.