Sandra Coyle

09/29/2026

Are your organization's leaders actually aligned on your core value proposition?

When internal executive narratives do not match external market realities, public campaigns fall short.

My latest advisory piece breaks down a practical 30-day guide to mapping these critical perception gaps onto a single page.

It provides boards and CEOs with the operational clarity needed to fix clarity, credibility, or leadership alignment issues before spending capital on public-facing messaging.

Discover how to run the diagnostic for your organization:

👉 https://www.sandracoyle.com/knowledge/map-the-gap

Discover why a perception gap is an information problem, not a branding issue. Map the gap between your internal narrative and external reality in 30 days and save on rebrandings.

09/21/2026

The recent news of Duncan Sheik’s passing brought back a sudden flood of memories from my first public relations assignment.

It was the late 1990s. A UNICEF anniversary gala in New York. Hillary Clinton was the keynote. Then the Lewinsky story broke, and the press would not stop calling.

I was new. I was filling gaps. I ended up as a red carpet usher for Duncan. I froze. He laughed and moved us forward. Afterward he teased that he had ushered me.

Sometimes all you can do is use your instincts for the brand and the person in front of you. The upside is you learn you can handle the pressure.

The important part is the quality of the people you are with in these moments and I was lucky to have such a kind, fun, and humble person to survive the chaos with.

https://www.sandracoyle.com/knowledge/trial-by-fire

Rest in peace, Duncan

A formative PR moment that began with routine press outreach and escalated into a high‑pressure red‑carpet assignment, offering an early lesson in humility, adaptability, and the steady presence required to guide others through fast‑moving public moments.

09/10/2026

We are entering a new era where narratives collapse before systems do.

AI‑accelerated commentary and fragmented information ecosystems mean public sentiment shifts before leaders have time to establish the facts.

Even strong organizations can lose trust quickly.

In my new article, I break down why narrative erosion is happening and how leaders and communicators can strengthen trust through transparency, evidence, and consistent behavior.

If trust is a strategic asset, then narrative integrity is part of resilience planning. 👇

Read more: sandracoyle.com/knowledge/new-risk

09/02/2026

Is your brand story easy to retell or only easy to read in a boardroom?

Too many organizations have aligned channels and a polished “About Us” page yet the story still does not stick.

It’s too technical, too inward-looking, or missing the human faces that make people care.

Winning brands invite others to co-create and retell the story, on social, in conversations, and in the community.

A few practical steps:

📈 Pair data with names and faces (“We trained 3,000 health workers, including Aisha, who now leads emergency response in her village”)

🌱 Share the founding spark and how you have evolved

🎯 State a clear, bold future (“By 2030, no child in this region will go to bed hungry”)

✂️ Test it on someone outside your field. If they are unable to repeat it in 60 seconds, simplify

Your brand story is not just what you say, it is what others repeat 👇

https://www.sandracoyle.com/knowledge/create-brand-story

Learn how to create a clear, engaging brand story that connects with audiences, inspires action, and turns supporters into brand ambassadors.

08/19/2026

If your title disappeared tomorrow, what would remain?

Would people still look to you when things get difficult?

I recently came across the extraordinary story of the Rose‑Noëlle, a trimaran that capsized in the Southern Ocean, leaving four men adrift for 119 days on an upside‑down boat. Their survival is gripping, but the leadership lessons are even more powerful.

Extreme situations strip leadership down to its essentials. Titles fall away. What’s left is competence, action, and the willingness to step up when it matters most.

I wrote about the story and the lessons we can all apply to our work and our lives here: 👇

https://www.sandracoyle.com/knowledge/competence-under-fire

True leadership is not a title. When the Rose-Noëlle capsized, formal authority dissolved but competence under fire kept four men alive for 119 days. Powerful lessons from one of the sea’s greatest survival stories.

08/12/2026

Today’s eclipse reminded us how quickly the familiar can become extraordinary.

For a few minutes the Moon stepped into the spotlight, and the world paused for a shadow.

It’s a useful moment to think about the Moon Paradox. Why something so visible and universal became the standard bearer for ambition, from nations to companies.

The Moon is the simplest metaphor for vision. It’s right there. You can point to it. You can rally people around it.

But what looks within reach is rarely easy to reach.

My latest on why leaders keep reaching for Moon-level goals, and practical steps for creating vision statements that are both compelling and achievable: 👇

https://www.sandracoyle.com/knowledge/moon-paradox

Why the Moon became the ultimate symbol for ambitious goals with practical steps to create compelling, actionable vision statements that deliver.

08/05/2026

The 2026 Everest season was called a success. Until one Sherpa guide did not come home.

Hillary Dawa Sherpa was left behind near the end of the season.

For nearly six days he survived alone at extreme altitude — without food, water, or oxygen — before a cleanup team found him dragging himself toward safety.

Modern systems. Experienced teams. Still a chain of quiet communication and coordination failures lined up.

This is the Swiss cheese risk analysis model in action and it happens in organizations every day.

📌 Here are several crisis communications lessons we can learn from Everest 2026:

Discover crisis communications lessons from Everest and how to build a team that won’t bottleneck under pressure.

07/29/2026

Boards often choose governance support based on pedigree. Impressive firm. Impressive résumé.

But pedigree does not tell you whether someone has actually been in the room when trust between a board and an executive team broke down, and knows how to rebuild it.

In my latest piece, I share the three questions every board should ask before hiring governance support during a transition. 👇

https://www.sandracoyle.com/knowledge/governance-gap

How boards should choose a governance consultant during transition. Focus on experience rebuilding board-executive trust and decision clarity, not credentials or pedigree.

07/22/2026

When growth slows or competition intensifies, the first instinct is often to say, “We need a better website or a new slogan.”

But what if the real problem is not messaging? It's a perception gap between how you see your organization and how your market actually experiences it.

In my latest article I share why true positioning starts with clarity and outline 3 practical strategies that help leadership teams close that gap and own their space in competitive markets.

🔗 In comments

If you lead an organization, foundation, or professional services firm, this one’s worth your time.

07/15/2026

Too many teams have a strategy deck but no shared direction. When everything is a priority, ex*****on stalls and people feel pulled “here, there, everywhere.”

This 4-step framework helps executive teams turn strategy into practical direction that shows up in calendars, budgets, and everyday decisions.

📌 Save this for your next leadership conversation, and read the full article at:
https://www.sandracoyle.com/knowledge/direction-before-strategy