Don’t Feed the Elephants!

Sarah Noll Wilson

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You see the giant footprints the moment you walk through the door. The conference room is a swirling mess of tension, heaviness, anxiety, and peanut shells. Something is very wrong with your team. Everybody knows it, but nobody is talking about it.

It’s obvious there’s an elephant in the room. Is it an Avoidephant, feeding off the fears of retaliation and exclusion? Perhaps it’s a Blamephant—whom we love to feed because it makes us feel better about ourselves. Or is it one of the other five types of elephants?

No matter what type you’re dealing with, executive coach Sarah Noll Wilson knows your elephant is not there by accident. It was created, and someone has been feeding it. Is it you?

In Don’t Feed the Elephants!, Sarah explores how you can address the true elephant in the room: avoidance. She shares tips for having conversations you may be avoiding, invites you to get curious instead of furious, and shows how to own your role rather than passing blame. You’ll come away with a shared language to free the elephants you see—and the confidence to do so.

Press & Praise

Marshall Goldsmith, New York Times #1 bestselling author of Triggers, Mojo, and What Got You Here Won't Get You There

Stop avoiding the hard conversations and start leading your teams to healthy relationships, constructive conflict, and positive work culture with Don't Feed the Elephants! Beautifully written with insights on every page, Sarah has put her finger on the toxic habits that keep us from solving the real problems that face our teams and companies. A must-read!

Mindy Lauck, CEO of Broadly

Sarah will help you show up as the values-based, impactful leader you aspire to be. She layers grace and humor into her smart and practical approach making this a book that you'll go back to again and again.

Alison Fragale, PhD, professor at the University of North Carolina and keynote speaker

This book will transform how you think about your relationships (spoiler alert: you feed more elephants than you think). Even better, Wilson's advice will give you the tools to speak about the unspeakable, show up with courage, and build true partnerships.

SARAH NOLL WILSON is an executive coach and leadership development consultant who’s been freeing elephants for fifteen years. Sarah works with leaders to develop more powerful partnerships and helps teams spot patterns that are keeping them from higher performance. An in-demand keynote speaker, Sarah leads workshops and team retreats for leaders and HR professionals. Previously, Sarah worked in management and as the talent development leader for an insurance company, giving her firsthand insight into the challenges of corporate leadership. She holds several coaching certifications and has a master’s in leadership development from Drake University.

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