About

Amanda Sterling

Coaching women to be the leaders the world needs

Do you question your role as a leader?

The options available to you don’t fit with the kind of leader you dream of being.

You want to develop a leadership style that’s true to you.
You want the confidence to show up as this kind of leader.
You want to advance your career while still holding true to your values.

Welcome to Learning to Fly. Where you are given the time, space, tools and resources to show up as the leader the world needs you to be.

Hi, I’m Amanda Sterling

Women’s leadership coach, researcher, activist and author.

I give you time and space to explore your leadership style, and share tools and resources to bring your leadership to life in a role that is most aligned with you.

So you can advance your career, and make a difference without sacrificing your values, family life or health.

And be the leader the world needs you to be (not the leader you think you 'should' be).

I know what it’s like to struggle to reconcile work and leadership values.

When I returned to work when my son was a year old, I felt the expectations of me as a leader were much different from what I could accomplish while still staying connected to my values.

I felt that I was failing to live up to expectations. Motherhood was shaping my leadership qualities, but these were not valued in a workplace that prioritised profit and productivity.

I was still ambitious but I didn’t see a place for me.

One of the most useful things I did was meet regularly with a coach.

We worked through difficult conversations about my role at work and family responsibilities. I learned how to ask for what I needed and set boundaries as we identified what my strengths were, and worked on leveraging those.

Each time we met, we got closer to uncovering, and tuning my focus towards, what was really important to me and my family and what kinds of leadership I wanted to demonstrate.

From this exploration, I was able to come to a place where I could clearly see and put into action my unique style of leadership.

I’m an experienced coach and facilitator

  • with over 15 years of professional experience working in leadership development for large global and small local businesses.
  • contributing original research that challenges the embodiment of leadership. I’m currently researching Motherhood and Leadership as part of my PhD at the University of Auckland, contrasting some of the very human experiences of motherhood with idealised perspectives of leadership.
  • an award-winning activist. Receiving an HRINZ innovation award winner (2016) for leading a global community of people and culture practitioners to re-imagine, and act differently, around humanity at work.
  • and author of “The Humane Workplace”. A book about how social technologies can, and should, make our workplaces more humane.

Amanda asked excellent questions and was so encouraging. It was amazing how much I gained in an hour! I had some powerful insights into the reasons behind my actions, and this enabled me to develop more helpful mindsets. Coaching with Amanda has given me the ability to be the decision maker in my life again. It's not that I have more time. It’s that I have more intentionality about how I spend my time in more fulfilling ways. I am enjoying my life more as a result of the work we did together. I would recommend Amanda as a coach to any woman who is finding herself under water.

I believe the world needs more women who can lead with their own unique style.

When we recognise and celebrate the diversity of skills, perspectives and strengths that women can bring to leadership, there will be a new way of doing business.

  • Women will have as much access to leadership opportunities as men and we’ll have as many women running our organisations as we do men.
  • Our life experiences and skills will be celebrated and our human experiences will be accommodated and supported.
  • We will see greater humanity - empathy, compassion and kindness within leadership.
  • Our businesses, communities and the environment will benefit from a diversity of voices and skills and more holistic problem-solving.
  • We’ll see women receive equal pay.
  • We’ll be in a world where our family and work lives intersect and integrate. Where the value of family and caregiving is recognised. Where our children benefit by having both parents present and connected in their lives.
  • People and the planet will be prioritised over profit.

Coaching for female leaders and leaders-to-be

Let’s work together to support you to make the best decisions for yourself, your family, and your career.

Take the next step to discover a leadership style that’s uniquely you

  • 1
    Book a discovery call
    Let’s get together and talk about what you hope coaching can bring to your work, life and leadership.
  • 2
    Get ready to fly
    I’ll give you time and space to explore your leadership style and provide tools and resources that help bring your leadership to life.
  • 3
    Learn to fly
    Get clarity and support to express your leadership style, advance your career and become the leader the world needs you to be.