This process didn’t begin suddenly one day. It was more like a slow downhill ride, until I eventually reached a point where I understood that something had to change — and that I needed help. I remember that day very clearly. I was in Amsterdam for a short weekend trip to see one of my favourite bands perform live. I had dreamed of seeing them for years. And finally there I was — standing under a sky full of stars, listening to my favourite song. And yet, I felt completely nu

I remember the moment when I first said it out loud: “One day, I will become the CEO of this company.” I was young, ambitious, and absolutely convinced that this was my dream. Since I first joined the workforce, and the company where I began my career, that vision stayed with me. I was always very open about my ambition. And I have to admit — I was pretty damn good at pursuing it. Every position I took brought me one step closer to that dream. Until one day I realised that th

Over the past 20 years I have lived and worked in seven countries across three continents. I have led teams across more than thirty markets in Europe, Middle East, Africa and spent countless hours in offices around the world. Over time I noticed something fascinating. No matter where I traveled — New York, London, Shanghai, Dubai — whenever I walked into one of our offices, it somehow felt like the same company. Of course, cultural differences were always present. Every count

It may sound like a strange question for an employee engagement survey. Yet according to research from Gallup, it turns out to be one of the most powerful predictors of engagement, performance, and retention. Over the years, I have seen many employee engagement surveys. Yet one of my personal favourites has always been the Gallup Q12 engagement model. Partly because of its simplicity. But even more because of the depth behind each seemingly simple question. One of the most

Recently I have been working with several clients in their mid to late 40s who have reached very senior positions in their careers. From the outside, everything looks successful. Strong careers. Leadership roles. Financial stability. Respect from peers. And yet, during our conversations, a similar sentence keeps appearing: “I just don’t feel that fire anymore.” That small spark inside — the one that once drove them forward — feels dim or gone. What they are describing is som

Since it is March , the month when we celebrate International Women’s Day, I wanted to share a somewhat controversial perspective about women in business and how we navigate bias in the workplace. When I started my career in the early 2000s in Eastern Europe and Central Asia we were still far away from the conversations that are common today — diversity and inclusion programs, women’s networks, gender equality initiatives, or movements like #MeToo. Back then, these conver

Over the past 20 years leading commercial organisations around the world , I have negotiated well over 1,000 contracts . Some were small one-time agreements, others were complex multi-year, multi-country contracts worth millions of dollars . Early in my career, I saw negotiation as many people do — a battle . A process where each side tries to win, defend their position, and push for the best possible outcome. Over time, developed a different perspective. Negotiations are not

I first discovered it in 2010, during a negotiation training that completely changed the way I approach difficult conversations. The concept was simple: "Silence holds power, whoever breaks it, loses it" Soon after that training, I had the perfect opportunity to test it. I had just returned to Kazakhstan when I was urgently called into a meeting with a very unhappy client. The CEO was furious. For about 15 minutes he moved between short emotional outbursts and long moments

One of the most common topics in my coaching sessions is Public Speaking & Stage fright. Everyone asks the same question: How do I stop feeling this adrenaline rush while on stage? Here’s the truth after hundreds of talks: I still feel it. Because stage fright isn’t the enemy. It’s energy. The real skill is learning how to turn adrenaline into presence.