Career, Business & Executive Coach | Mindset & Mental Fitness Coach | DISC® Certified | Mentor

On paper, things are going well.
Day to day, it feels harder.

Revenue is coming in.
The team is bigger than it used to be. 
The business is clearly working.

But decisions feel heavier. 
Everything still lands on you. And it is harder to stay out of the weeds.

You have the same job title. Founder. Business owner. CEO.
But the job itself has quietly changed.

What used to work does not work in the same way anymore.

• operations are more complex 
• people issues take up more space 
• decisions are more interconnected

So you keep jumping in and sorting things out the way you always have.
It takes more time. More energy. More of you than it used to.

At the same time, the business is no longer a small startup. 
And it now needs something different from you.

This is a phase many founders hit as the business grows.

It shows up when the business grows, but decisions, ownership, and responsibility still sit with you.

I have seen this pattern repeatedly across my career. 
In startups. In large organisations. And in my own business.

Each time the team grew, the role demanded more.

That transition is where my work focuses:

- how decisions are being made day to day, and why they keep landing back with you
- where ownership really sits in the team (not just on paper)
- what deserves your time now - and what no longer should

Every business at this stage looks different.

The team, the context, the pressures, and the founder’s role are never the same.

That’s why this work is always one to one. 
No cohorts, templates, or fixed programmes.

We work on what is actually happening in your business, and what leadership needs to look like at this stage.

Outcomes my clients experience include:

• simplified operations and clearer priorities 
• avoided or corrected costly team decisions 
• fewer decisions landing back with the founder 
• stronger ownership and accountability in the team 
• stepping out of firefighting and regaining thinking time 
• highly reduced stress at work and at home

Clients often tell me I make complex situations feel simpler and create the space they need to think clearly and make decisions they trust.

My background:

-	30 plus years in leadership roles 
-	Experience across startups and large organisations 
-	Responsibility for people, HR, operations, and sales 

> CIPD in HR Management
> Certified, ICF accredited coach
> Performance & Neuroscience Coaching
> Positive Intelligence Coaching & DISC

☎️ If you are ready to regain control of your business, you can DM or book a 30-minute consultation via the link in my profile.

Monica Federico

I used to think managing emotions at work meant not losing your temper. That was it. 
Keep a lid on it and you're fine.

But that's not where emotions do the most damage.

The real cost comes from the ones you don't notice.

⊙ Being helpful to the point of overload.
↳ That's not generosity. It's a need to be liked.

⊙ The need to stay involved in everything.
↳ That's not a personality trait. It's fear - fear of losing control, or fear of judgement if something isn't perfect.

⊙ Avoiding a difficult conversation with someone who's creating problems.
↳ That's not being measured. It's discomfort dressed up as patience.

These aren't character flaws.
They're emotional responses that became habits.

And habits feel normal.
That's the problem.

Most of us don't struggle with the obvious emotional moments.
We struggle with the ones that look like work style, leadership preference, or "just how I operate."

Winning isn't just about staying calm when things blow up.

It's knowing which of your daily habits are actually emotions in disguise.

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Founders & business owners (10-100) → regain clarity & control as the team grows | 1:1 Leadership & Performance Coach | ICF Accredited Neuroscience Coach

School teaches us WHAT to think.
It almost never teaches us HOW to think.

That’s why many smart people still make bad decisions.

Clear thinking isn’t IQ.

It’s trained mental habits.

Here are 6 that I personally use and will change how you make decisions:

1️⃣ Pause Training

Most bad decisions come from emotional reactions.
Smart thinkers pause first.

Pause → Observe → Respond.

2️⃣ Mental Subtraction

Clear thinking usually comes from removing noise.
Ask yourself: "What can I eliminate?"

Clarity appears when complexity disappears.

3️⃣ Compression

If you can’t explain something simply, you probably don’t understand it yet.

Use the 3–1 rule:

3 bullet points →
1 core idea.

4️⃣ Cognitive Flexibility

Avoid mental ruts.

Ask:
• What would a beginner think?
• What would an expert do?
• What if the opposite were true?

Better thinking comes from new angles.

5️⃣ Pattern Recognition

Smart thinkers notice signals others miss.

Look for:
• repeating problems
• repeated successes
• cause → effect patterns

Patterns help you predict outcomes faster.

6️⃣ Environment Design

Your environment shapes how clearly you think.

Design spaces for:
• deep focus
• fewer distractions
• better mental states

Better environment → better decisions.

Thinking smarter isn’t about IQ.
It’s about training how you think.

When you build these habits:
• decisions become clearer
• stress drops
• you stop overthinking

And you start making better decisions, faster.

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Your brain runs your business. 
Not your strategy. Not your systems. 
Your brain.

I had a week full of life admin, the kind that clutters your head and leaves little space for anything else.

It reminded me of something worth sharing.

When our brain chemistry takes a hit, everything else follows.

Low dopamine and our drive goes flat.
Low serotonin and decisions get murky.
Low oxytocin and our team relationships start to fray.
Low endorphins and stress just compounds.

The problem is that modern founder life quietly attacks all four.

Constant phone use. 
Working alone. 
Rarely moving. 
Not enough sleep.

None of it seems much of a problem. 
All of it is cumulative.

The fix isn't complicated. 
But it does require you to treat your brain like the operational asset it actually is.

This weekend I'm making a point of walking outside, putting the phone down, and sleeping more.

What are you up to this weekend?
(Image credit: Tj Power)
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"I never saw it coming."
But looking back, I wasn't really looking.

I had a high-performing sales manager. 
Numbers were strong. 
The team was running well. 

So I focused my attention elsewhere - on the departments that needed me more.

What I didn't know was that he'd already done the maths.
To reach the salary he wanted, staying would have taken years. Moving industry would get him there faster. 

By the time I found out, the decision was made.
I couldn't have stopped it.

But I might have seen it coming, if only I'd stayed in the conversation.

That's the part I got wrong. 
The silence I mistook for satisfaction.

In corporate, losing a high performer is painful but manageable. There are pipelines, succession plans, and structures that absorb the hit.

In an SME, there's none of that. 
The impact is immediate.

And you have fewer tools to keep people. 
No quick promotion ladder to offer. 
No big brand to lean on.

What you do have is the relationship. 
The conversations. 
The attention you pay to the people who are quietly holding things together.

When you stop, they notice. 
Even if they never say it.

You don't always lose them because you're doing something wrong.

Sometimes you lose them because you stopped doing something right.

When did you last give them a reason to stay?
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Your team might read your company values once.
But they watch you every day.

They notice when the 1-2-1 gets cancelled.
Again.

They notice when we say "my door is always open"...
then rush every conversation.

They notice when deadlines slip for us but not for them.

We can write "integrity" on the wall.
We can open every meeting talking about our values.
It won't matter if our behaviour tells a different story.

Because our teams are already collecting evidence.
Every small action either confirms or contradicts what we've said.

Here's two things worth checking this week:

1) Pick one value you talk about. 
↳What would your team have seen from you in the last month that proves it?

2) Look at your calendar. 
↳ Does how you spend your time match what you say matters?
That's where culture actually lives.

The good news is that behaviour can change.
And when it does, your team notices that too.

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Your performance review process should be consistent. 
Your approach should not.

Six reviews in one week.

When you'd rather just get on with it, it's easy to have the same conversation with everyone and get through the list.

And if some of those conversations feel awkward, it's probably because feedback hasn't been happening along the way. 

A performance review shouldn't be the first time someone hears something important.

Before you walk into any of those rooms, stop and ask: 
where does this person actually sit right now?

Not "good" or "not good." 
Not "performer" or "underperformer." 
More precise than that.

 • Capable but disengaged
 • High potential, high impact
 • Reliable and steady
 • Engaged but underperforming
 • Disengaged and underperforming

Most people won't sit neatly in one place, but this is a useful starting point before the conversation.

Each pattern needs something different from you.

The one that's easiest to get wrong? 
Your reliable, steady performer. 

They deliver, they don't make noise, so "keep doing what you're doing" becomes the default. 

We tend to spend our energy on high performers and underperformers. 
The steady ones get left alone. 

And that's often where quiet disengagement starts.

The framework in the graphic gives you a starting point for each one.

They all need your leadership. 
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Helping founders regain control as their business grows and leadership becomes more demanding | Performance Coaching | ICF Accredited Neuroscience Coach

Our brain craves certainty. 
But nuance is your leadership advantage.

Most leadership advice pulls you toward extremes.

Be decisive or be empathetic.
Hold people accountable or protect morale.
Be self-reliant or ask for help.

But the best founders I work with don't live at the extremes.

They've learned to hold two things at once.

→ No one is coming to save you. True.
You are responsible for what you tolerate, what you prioritise, and how you respond.

↳ And asking for support is still taking responsibility. Also true.
It means recognising where you lack perspective, knowledge, or simply can't carry the pressure alone.

→ You are accountable for your reactions.
That means understanding your triggers and choosing how you show up.

↳ And you are allowed to draw a line.
Responsibility doesn't mean absorbing poor behaviour or pretending everything is fine.

→ You will need to grow to lead at the next level.
Scaling brings new pressures, new decisions, new dynamics. What got you here may not be enough to take you further.

↳ And you are not broken.
Development isn't about fixing yourself. It's about expanding your range.

In practice, this might look like:

- Investing in someone's development while being clear about the standards required.

- Taking ownership of what you can control, and genuinely letting go of what you can't.

- Caring about your people and still making the tough calls that protect the business.

If it feels uncomfortable to hold both, you're probably doing it right.

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Luca Collina MBA

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐭 𝐀𝐈 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞



AI isn’t simply a technology — it’s a business game changer. But unleashing its full potential takes more than technical know-how. 𝗜𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸, 𝗺𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝗜 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗜 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝗻.



As an 𝗔𝗜 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗿, I make sense of the AI complexity by articulating guidance for leaders to separate hype from reality, and focus their efforts on what will truly drive competitive advantage. I have been working as a 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿 focusing on measurable business impact and maximising total customer lifetime value that an AI-based approach can provide.



As a 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗺𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄, I closely follow AI developments, their business implications and strategic opportunities — helping leaders make better, quicker and more assured decisions.



In addition, for supporting consulting, 𝗜 𝗮𝗺 𝗮 𝗠𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗘𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗝𝗔𝗜𝗜--𝗝𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 from which I contribute to thought leadership and interdisciplinary research. This is an academic publication fostering collaboration across leadership, technology, education, and sociology. At JAII, I join forces with other leading scholars and practitioners to produce high-quality peer-reviewed research papers bridging the gap between theory and real business applications in AI,  fresh research to be analysed.



𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗜 𝗛𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗪𝗶𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝗜: 🚀



AI Strategy for Growth – Power AI capabilities into business advantage



Executive AI Literacy    – Simplify complexity and make better AI decisions.



Research & Insights    – Data-based analysis of AI’s effects on business.



Decision Intelligence   – Bridging the gap between AI, strategy and foresight for improved decision-making 



𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗜 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵:

I work alongside executives, Senior Managers, Professionals, and organisations who don’t just want to learn about AI; they want 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗯𝗹𝗮𝘇𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝘁..As a Chief Executive Officer, strategist and decision-maker in the field of AI-powered transformation, I guide you toward releasing real business value.



And how i work with my clients: no using billable hours/ yes, based on outcomes.

Reach out to start using AI as your competitive advantage.

Digital Transformation | RPA Automation | AI & Business | Organisational Culture

Providing solutions to business organizations by helping them to establish efficient and results-oriented transitional and transformational strategies.
𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: our framework HIT™ ( HIGH-iMPACT TRANSFORMATION) connecting the transformation with the company and business strategies and supporting the delivery of the activities required to achieve the Company's goals for a safe GTA™(Go-to-Adoption) with our integration model. 
𝐀𝐈 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐲: Leave out the hype and support CEO's to strategise, implement and adopt AI functionalities for Businesses reducing risks about - Business Impacts? Benefits and dis-benefits? How to implement AI in your Business?
𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵: Unmet customers' needs Jobs To Be Done(JBTD) and Business Strategies.

Luca MBA

𝐀𝐈 𝐈𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬: 𝐈𝐭 𝐈𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥

Often, when people talk about artificial intelligence, it is as if it will replace leaders. In fact, something much more subtle is going on: AI is changing control points within organisations. Who controls information, who controls analysis; and who controls the rhythm of decisions?
Leadership specifically is not going away; its function is changing. While leaders used to direct AI in every step of analysis, increasingly they become the architects designing structures within which it is used more than anything else.
This article aims to reflect on how AI changes leadership control and speculate about how tomorrow might see leadership more architectural than operational.

Luca  Collina MBA

View newsletter: 𝐀𝐈 & 𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 

Why AI is the wrong question about leadership Public conversation around artificial intelligence usually opens with an even more elementary question: 

Open article: AI Is Not Replacing Leaders: It Is Redefining What Leadership Can Control by Luca Collina MBA • 5 min read

AI Is Not Replacing Leaders: It Is Redefining What Leadership Can Control

It is with pride that I share that I have been recognised as a Top 25 Thought Leader in AI Governance on Thinkers360! But I’m privileged to stand next to such great authors and experts in the industry. This badge is a testament to my dedication towards cultivating and elevating conversations about AI and pushes me to continually elevate the discourse so that I can keep climbing in ranks. Immense gratitude to Thinkers360 for this accolade!

𝐀 𝐭𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐈𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐲: 𝐀𝐈 𝐨𝐫 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 + 𝐈𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐂𝐮𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞

I found it interesting to accept this invitation to participate on the 3rd and the 4th of March 2026 in this congress organised by the POLITECNICO DI MILANO about intelligent automation.
The reasons are simple: I liked the program (professional). I liked that there are two aperitivo times. ☺️ And the fact I have the opportunity to enjoy Italian cuisine for two evenings, choosing two meals when I will be at the restaurants! 😉 And considering that they are "expecting" around 3-400 invitees, a f2f opportunity for networking FOR REAL.
THANK YOU. MariaCristina Zino!

𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐑𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐝 𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐟-𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐬

When faced with the real-world exceptions, classical automation often fails, and that's when people have to start filling in errors and differences by hand. 

By contrast, agentic AI introduces a self-healing level to routinely reflect on its own activity, correct errors early, and smooth away problems faced by one system in due time. Acting as a kind of central junction, it ensures operations keep running smoothly – without a small mistake turning into something big.

#AgenticAI #ProcessAutomation #DigitalTransformation #FutureOfWork #ERP #CRM #SagaPattern

As a fellow traveller in new automation, you know how the story unfolds: You assemble a perfect sequence in an ERP or CRM, and the moment a "real-worl

Open article: Beyond the Skeleton: Why Agentic AI is the Nervous System Your Legacy and Applications Systems Need by Luca Collina MBA • 3 min read

Beyond the Skeleton: Why Agentic AI is the Nervous System Your Legacy and Applications Systems Need

𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬, 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐀𝐈

Many companies believe they know their competitive advantages, yet few test whether those advantages still matter as markets change. This article explains why advantage diminishes quietly and how AI can help leaders see what customers value, how competitors are converging, and where strengths no longer differentiate. It includes a simple diagnostic you can share with your teams to reflect on where your advantage really stands today.


#Strategy #CompetitiveAdvantage  #BusinessStrategy  #Leadership  #ExecutiveEducation #AIinBusiness  #DigitalTransformation  #DecisionMaking  #MarketDynamics  #BusinessGrowth

Competitive advantages are the basic pillars that allow a company to compete and earn better returns than peers. They explain why customers choose one

Open article: Business & Competitive Advantages:
Ai Support – Does Not Strategize by Luca Collina MBA • 4 min read

Business & Competitive Advantages:
Ai Support – Does Not Strategize

Are you looking for a "partner" to play tennis?
( ask for hourly fees btw)

AI, Marketing & Tech | Scaling founders and brands into authority, audience and revenue.

Researchers trained a humanoid robot to play tennis using only 5 hours of motion capture data

The robot can now sustain multi-shot rallies with human players, hitting balls traveling >15 m/s with a ~90% success rate

A few shifts are becoming visible:
• Efficiency of data has replaced volume of data as the primary constraint.
• Physical precision is being solved through observation rather than manual coding.
• The gap between digital simulation and physical execution is closing faster than expected.

We often assume that complex physical tasks require years of refinement.

In reality, the system just needs the right five hours of data to understand the pattern.

What are your thoughts on this?

Follow for more Rinor Restelica

𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐲 𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐀𝐥𝐠𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐦𝐬: 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐬 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐞 𝐇𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧-𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜 𝐎𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬

I recently wrote an article, with support from https://lnkd.in/eng5hpSb , about how chatbots are shaping human-centric organisations.

The article shows that chatbots are no longer only a support tool. They are becoming part of how organisations interact with customers, employees, and digital services.
There are several points discussed in the article. Each one will focus on one key idea.
·      From Invisible System to Conversational Presence
·      Automation Is Simple. Augmentation Requires Care.
·      The Illusion of Artificial Warmth
·      Leadership Framing Shapes Change
·      Governance and Boundaries
·      The Quiet Risk of Avoidance

I hope that this article can bring some light on functionalities instead (as usual) only technology

visit the link https://lnkd.in/eHXysbgw

Thank you, Thinkers360, for this mention and for remembering the #RPA.

RPA digital badge was issued by Thinkers360 to Luca Collina MBA https://lnkd.in/enMnX7S4 via Luca Collina MBA on Thinkers360 #RPA

Open article: RPA digital badge was issued by Thinkers360 to Luca Collina MBA by buff.ly

RPA digital badge was issued by Thinkers360 to Luca Collina MBA

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