Our Story
Lead with Impact
Paula, Founder + CEO of Impact Leader, brings over three decades of diverse leadership experience across governmental, nonprofit, corporate, and academic health settings.
Most recently, Paula served as Director of Missouri’s Department of Health and Senior Services and as Missouri’s State Health Officer, roles that give her unique, in-depth insight into the intersections of business, policy, and organizational health.
But Paula’s leadership journey began long before that. She started as a counselor, helping one individual at a time. She then built a multi-decade career in public health and healthcare, where she saw firsthand how policy changes can impact entire populations.
Meet Paula
Paula’s “why” is simple, yet urgent: every organization across our nation and globe desperately needs better leaders. The bond between a leader and those whom the leader serves - whether direct reports, first line manager, customers or community partners - is nothing short of a sacred trust. Those whom you serve deserve your best as a leader. And ‘your best’ takes practice and insights from the research about what makes leaders exemplary leaders.
That belief launched Impact Leader.
By facilitating leaders to improve their own skills, they improve their teams and ultimately transform their organizations. That’s how leadership exponentially changes lives.
Why Paula founded Impact Leader
At the core of Paula’s work is one philosophy:
Leaders Change Lives.
Lead Better. Lead with Impact.
Credentials & Expertise
Paula is a trusted partner to leaders in government, healthcare, corporate, and nonprofit sectors. She specializes as a non-partisan communicator and is able to establish rapport, trust and common goals.
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Impact Leader provides personalized executive coaching to help leaders strengthen decision-making, communication, and team influence. Through one-on-one guidance, leaders gain confidence, clarity, and strategies to maximize their impact.
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As a certified facilitator of The Leadership Challenge®, Impact Leader equips organizations with practical, research-backed tools to grow exemplary leaders. Workshops and trainings inspire participants to model the way, inspire vision, and lead with purpose.
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Impact Leader offers expert administration and coaching using the Leadership Practices Inventory® (LPI®), the gold standard leadership assessment. Leaders receive actionable feedback to identify strengths, target growth areas, and improve performance.
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With decades of leadership experience, Impact Leader advises organizations on strategic planning, policy development, and organizational health. From data-to-policy translation to culture building, we help leaders align strategy with sustainable results.
What Sets Paula Apart
Impact Leader engages an extensive network of trainers and coaches using proven tools and approaches customized to your organization’s needs. Paula’s blend of frontline counseling, executive leadership, and state-level policy expertise makes her uniquely prepared to facilitate organizations fine-tune performance and build strong, resilient leadership.