What is a Rebel Leader?
You don't need a title to be a leader. You don't need permission to be a rebel.
A Rebel Leader is someone who wants to lead but feels the tension between who they are and what the traditional workplace expects them to be. Maybe you’ve questioned your seat at the table, whether your style “fits,” or wondered why leadership still feels like a game you weren’t trained to play. Maybe you’re a founder or executive who knows there’s a better way to do business.
Rebel Leaders are the people who instinctively feel there must be a better way.
At Rebel Leaders, we know the problem isn’t always the leader themselves, but the outdated systems shaping how leadership “should” look.
Leadership still looks the same, even though the world — and the people in it — have changed.
We know there’s a better way, and we’re tired of the same stale, reheated leadership models we’ve been fed for decades.
Aren’t you?
Meet Susie Fishleder
On the surface, Susie probably doesn't look like what you'd picture when you think "rebel leader." She's a 40-something mom of three kids who drives a minivan. But beneath that everyday exterior is an ICF-certified executive coach, longtime yoga teacher, and activist-scholar with an MA in Women, Gender, Spirituality, and Social Justice—which is exactly the point.
Rebel leaders show up in the everyday moments, and they bring serious expertise with them.
Susie spent 15 years leading high-stakes projects in commercial interior design and executive sales, proving her worth in male-dominated industries and constantly trying to become the version of herself that the world seemed to want.
But even though she played by all the rules, she STILL hit burnout. When she finally stepped away from the noise, she could hear the rebel voice inside that said, "Why are you playing a game you'll never be allowed to win?"
So she decided to make new rules. Fueled by countless iced coffees, she went back to school to study how patriarchy, white supremacy, and capitalism created the very systems we're told to succeed within. Her academic research became the foundation for a radically different approach to leadership development.
Since 2020, Susie has coached countless women, scholars, activists, and organizational leaders who are ready to dismantle outdated structures and build something better. In 2023, she joined the board of the International Association for Maternal Action and Scholarship (IAMAS), furthering her commitment to redefining what leadership looks like.
As a Gestalt-trained coach and certified yoga teacher, Susie knows that true leadership comes from embracing our WHOLE selves—our bodies, our values, our intuition—not just our minds. We can't create sustainable change by disconnecting from our embodied wisdom.
Rebel Leaders pulls it all together by creating a collaborative and supportive community of like-minded people who want to shift the culture, one authentic leader at a time.
📚 Checkout The Rebel Leader's Reading List Books that shaped Susie’s thinking on leadership, justice, and creating change. From bell hooks to adrienne maree brown, these authors taught her that leadership is about liberation, not domination. Visit the list on Bookshop.com
The Rebel Leaders Manifesto
We believe leadership isn't about titles, corner offices, or climbing ladders built by systems that were never designed for us.
The old leadership rules are outdated.
They were built for a world — and workforce — that no longer exists.
01/
Power WITH, not power OVER.
People thrive when they have agency, clarity, and trust. We lead in ways that lift others up.
02/
Thoughtful action beats performative noise.
Real leadership is grounded, deliberate, and human.
03/
Systems shape behavior
We question the structure, not the person.
04/
05/
Your whole self belongs in your leadership.
Your values, identity, and lived experience are assets, not liabilities.
You're already leading.
If you’re questioning old models and shaping change from where you are — you’re doing the work.
06/
We are leaders and learners, women and mothers, founders and first-timers. We are the people who’ve questioned the old models, trusted our instincts, and led even when the rules weren’t written for us.
We lead from our values, our lived experience, and our belief that leadership should evolve with the world - not lag behind it.
We are Rebel Leaders. And we're just getting started.
Our Offerings
One-on-one support to help you lead authentically from your values, break through what’s holding you back, and create the impact you’re meant to make.
Consulting + training for organizations ready to update outdated leadership models, strengthen safety and belonging, and build workplaces where people actually want to show up.
Interactive sessions that spark curiosity and guide teams through the evolution of modern leadership, equipping them with practical tools to lead with more confidence, clarity, and connection.
