Three Questions for Sandy Seeber-Quayle, Originator of the KUBA Pilot Strategy

One of the aspects I particularly enjoy in my role as managing editor of Leader to Leader is working with our authors (leaders/thought leaders) to help craft their message as strongly as possible. A recent example is the organizational coach/entrepreneur Sandy Seeber-Quayle , whose article “How Effective Thinking Habits Help Leaders To Be More Effective ” appears in our new Summer 2024 issue.

Our editor-in-chief Sarah McArthur invited her to write an article about Sandy’s KUBA Pilot Strategy . In working with Sandy (completely via email), I discovered that she has multiple business/creative talents and interests.

Sandy was born in Eastern Germany and was eleven years old at the fall of the Berlin Wall. People often metaphorically refer to life’s journey, but in Sandy’s case it is literally true. She eventually became a world traveler before settling in Dublin, Ireland; and worked for a number of companies while strengthening her business experience and credentials, particularly in the field of insurance, before forming her own company.

You can also learn more about Sandy’s fascinating life story at the podcasts Work from the Inside Out with Tammy Gooler Loeb ; and Reframe & Reset Your Career with Harsha Boralessa .

I’m grateful to Sandy for answering my questions about her company and her work, how her unique background informs her current activities, and about her creative writing.

For the non-specialist reader, can you describe the nature of your day-to-day work as an adviser and coach; and your creation and operation of KUBA Pilot?

KUBA Pilot as a business is still in its infancy. Although the KUBA Pilot Strategy has been road-tested over the past ten years, I only started focusing on marketing it last year. Every entrepreneur will tell you that the reality of building a business is a lot harder than they thought, and I am constantly learning and adapting. Building and nurturing my network remains a core focus alongside client work.

?My day-to-day work varies based on clients, projects and my business objectives. My favorite activity is engaging directly with managers on change initiatives or complex projects. Supporting them in their development through practical, on-the-job training is central to my approach. I act as a sounding board, using the KUBA Pilot Strategy to encourage managers to stop and think differently. The closer the KUBA Pilot checkpoints (Know Yourself, Understand Others, Build Connections, Align Decisions) are applied to specific work tasks and goals, the easier it is for thought patterns to form and be reinforced through positive feedback loops.

How has your highly international personal and professional background and experience informed your work and your writing?

I come from a small town in the middle of Germany and always felt burdened by a sense of responsibility. Venturing into the world with just a backpack was incredibly freeing, I only had to decide where to eat, sleep and go next. I spent a lot of time on buses and trains before smartphones were in everyone’s pocket. It was during a toilet break on a bus journey between Jaipur and Agra in India that the idea for my first novel came to me. Out of nowhere, characters sprang to life. This experience taught me to trust in the serendipity of things and to stay open to the world and people around me.

However, I also learned how to stay true to myself. A colleague once asked me what I planned to impress the boss after being promoted to lead an inside sales team. I realized that I wasn’t interested in impressing anyone and told him so. Even now, I just want to do a good job and achieve the objectives I have committed to meet.

Traveling and then working with people from diverse cultural backgrounds reinforced my view that we all share a common humanity. I believe that when we accept our shortcomings and those of others we can accomplish extraordinary things. From here, everything becomes easier in work and creative pursuits.

Along with your professional writing, you are also engaged in creative writing, including poetry, a novel, and flash fiction. Do you see any commonalities between the professional and creative writing, and being based in Dublin, do you draw any inspiration from the city’s amazingly rich literary tradition ?

I love to explore human nature in all of my writing whether it is through creative pieces or more professional writing. I only recently started to explore more of Ireland’s literary traditions beyond James Joyce and Oscar Wilde. I was surprised by its broad range of events, festivals, and opportunities for writers. The more I immerse myself the more inspired I am to develop my craft. What inspires me most is reading a piece of fiction or poetry that leaves an impression on me, that is something I strive for in my own writing, whether it is creative or professional.