Evan: It is an absolute delight to have a conversation with a good friend of mine, Sally Ellata. I've known Sally for at least five or six years, and she is one of the leaders I admire most. I have always admired the way she leads, the way she runs her company, and the way she leads with love—which I keep suggesting should be the name of her book. Together, we’ll do something on that.
Sally, would you like to quickly introduce yourself and tell us what makes you so amazing?
Sally: Oh, I don’t know about amazing, but thank you, Evan. You’re amazing, and I’m very honored to be here with you. You are an incredible leader and a thought leader in this industry, so thank you for this opportunity to share.
Who is Sally Ellata? I am a Sudanese-American Muslim entrepreneur and woman. I came to the United States in 1995 on a mission to do something extraordinary—to live the American dream, start my own business, and change the world through it. I know it sounds crazy, but I wanted to have an impact on as many people as possible.
I started my company, Agile Transformation, about ten years ago and fell in love with the world of business agility. Since then, I’ve changed the name to Agility Health because agility is broader than just one methodology. I’m also a mother of three beautiful children—Yara, Sharif, and Noor. I love music and belly dancing, and I’m an entrepreneur who is passionate about leadership. I love talking about leadership, learning about it, growing, and coaching others.
I’m originally from Sudan in Africa, and on the side—because I apparently have a lot of time—I started a nonprofit called Sudan NextGen to help my home country through its revolution.
On Leadership and Influence
Evan: You are the only person in the last ten years who has successfully dragged me onto a dance floor! You did great; I did terribly, but thank you for trying.
Let’s talk about leadership. What is important to you? What made you the leader that you are today?
Sally: That’s a very good question. I’ve been thinking about it ever since you helped me prepare for this conversation. I really believe my mother played the biggest role in shaping me as a leader.
Growing up in Sudan, women weren’t supposed to do what I’m doing now—especially in my mother’s time. Women were expected to stay home, take care of the family, and even education was optional. But my mother’s family believed in her, so they sent her to high school, then to college, and eventually, she decided to pursue a PhD in Scotland. She took me with her when I was four years old.
By removing me from the environment she grew up in and raising me in Scotland, she instilled in me a fearlessness and ambition that I didn’t even realize I had. She constantly reinforced that I could do anything and that I should never feel limited. I took that mindset for granted until I got older and realized how many parents don’t instill confidence in their children.
There’s a big difference between confidence and ego. Confidence is empowering; ego is not. My mother built confidence in me, and that foundation gave me the drive to be a leader, to move things forward, and to not be afraid.
Be Bold, Be Real, Lead with Love
Evan: There’s a lot that people can learn from you and your leadership style. Tell me more about what matters to you as a leader.
Sally: If I had to summarize my leadership philosophy, it would be: Be bold. Be real. Lead with love.
Being bold has shaped so many of my experiences—moving to the U.S. alone as a teenager, buying my first house at 17 or 18, taking 30 credit hours in my last year of college so I could secure a full-time job, starting my own company, and now leading Sudan NextGen. All of those required courage.
Being real is about authenticity—leading from the heart, being transparent, and speaking honestly.
Leading with love means genuinely caring about the people you lead. When COVID-19 hit, I noticed fear and anxiety rising in my team’s conversations. Instead of ignoring it, I called an all-hands meeting just to talk. When the Black Lives Matter movement intensified, I did the same thing. As leaders, we have to recognize that we’re leading human beings with emotions, fears, and anxieties. We have to acknowledge that and create space for healing.
Leadership Through Crisis
Evan: You’ve been leading Agility Health through a crisis, and at the same time, you’ve been supporting Sudan through its own crisis. How do you manage both?
Sally: Stamina helps! But more than that, I just have an internal drive to make an impact.
During times of crisis, it’s easy for leaders to freeze up, become reactive, or try to control everything. I’ve had moments where I leaned in too much, micromanaged, or doubted myself. I’ve also had to make painful decisions—like layoffs—which were incredibly hard because they weren’t performance-related.
At one point, I hit a breaking point. There was so much negativity coming at me from all directions that I started doubting myself. That’s when I learned the importance of mental health breaks. I took time off to reset, and I also surrounded myself with positive people who lifted me up. As leaders, we’re human too. It’s okay to struggle, but it’s important to pick ourselves up and keep going because others depend on us.
Resilience and Agility for the Future
Evan: As we come out of the COVID-19 crisis, what do leaders need to develop in order to navigate future crises?
Sally: Two things: resilience and agility.
Resilience is about bouncing back from shocks. As leaders, we must balance leading both the business and the people. Many leaders excel at the business side—KPIs, execution, strategy—but they struggle with the human side. They don’t know how to lead with love, respond to emotions, or acknowledge pain and fear.
Some leaders might feel that leading with love is "too soft," but in times of crisis, people need authenticity and care. Leadership isn’t just about strategy—it’s about humanity.
Final Thoughts
Evan: Before we wrap up, any final thoughts?
Sally: I just want to encourage everyone to take care of themselves and their loved ones. Show people that you care—send a message, schedule a town hall, or just talk. Our personal, emotional, and work lives are intermingling more than ever, and that’s okay.
Be authentic. Lead with love. And, as Evan keeps reminding me, maybe one day we’ll write a book about it!
Evan: Thank you, Sally. I hope everyone takes these principles to heart because they are truly important.