About Dr. Satterfield
Experience and leadership philosophy
My leadership philosophy
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I started in the classroom, where I learned something that has guided my work ever since: there is far more potential in a room than most people realize, and it begins to grow the moment someone chooses to invest in it. That belief has shaped every chapter of my career, from educator and executive coach to elected school board leader and organizational advisor.
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Over time, I have come to believe that leadership is less about having all the answers and more about helping people and institutions build the capacity to meet complexity well. Lasting change rarely comes from one brilliant idea. It comes from strengthening judgment, deepening relationships, and building systems that endure long after a single leader has left the room.
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That belief is why I founded Advancing Lives. I partner with leaders and the organizations investing in them to bridge the space between bold vision and meaningful results. I bring research, lived experience, and practical tools to every engagement, always with the same goal: to leave people and institutions stronger than I found them.
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My doctoral work at Harvard gave language to what experience had already taught me. Leadership is not about becoming indispensable. It is about creating the conditions where people, teams, and institutions can ask better questions, exercise sound judgment, and discover the answers together.
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CredentialsÂ
Harvard
Doctorate
I hold a Doctorate in Education Leadership from Harvard, specializing in systems-level change. Every framework, tool, and strategy I use is grounded in research and refined through real-world leadership.
Systems Leader
I have led through moments where strategy, people, and execution all had to align. That experience allows me to move beyond ideas and help leaders create change that is both practical and lasting.
Elected Leader
As Vice Chair of a public school board, I helped lead a superintendent search and governed through highly visible, high-stakes decisions. I now help leaders develop the judgment, steadiness, and resilience those moments demand.
Social Worker
My training as a social worker taught me to see the whole person, not just the problem. That perspective shapes how I lead, coach, and help organizations navigate change.