Getting Senior Leaders to Optimal Performance and Sustainable Growth Without Burnout

You’re capable, experienced, and used to handling pressure. Yet certain moments quietly destabilise even strong leaders.
► When you step into a new role and realise the rules have changed
► When a restructuring, missed promotion, or sudden shift knocks confidence more than you admit
► When performance still looks “fine”, but decision-making feels heavier and slower than it should

These moments don’t look dramatic from the outside. 
They look like coping.

And this is where many leaders hesitate —
waiting for clarity to return on its own,
until the cost shows up as loss of judgment, credibility, or energy.

👉 This is where my work begins.
I partner with senior leaders and leadership teams during high-stakes transitions — where clarity, authority, and direction matter more than speed.

My clients typically come to this point when they need to:

✔️ Make clear, grounded decisions under pressure 
✔️ Re-establish authority and presence in a new or changing role 
✔️ Navigate career transitions or restructuring without loss of momentum 
✔️ Lead teams through complexity, transformation, or sustained change 
✔️ Perform at a high level without sacrificing health, focus, or integrity

I bring 17+ years of experience from Fortune 500 organisations (P&G, General Mills, GSK, Syngenta), combined with professional executive coaching and mentoring (ICF PCC, EMCC SP). 

I understand the realities of senior leadership — competing priorities, political complexity, and the expectation to “hold it together” while everything shifts.

My clients often describe the biggest shift not as improved performance alone — but as clearer thinking, steadier confidence, and the ability to lead without constantly operating in reactive mode.

If you’re navigating a meaningful transition — whether you’re still in role or between chapters — and sense that waiting is no longer the right strategy, you’re welcome to message me here on LinkedIn to explore whether working together makes sense.

— 
🌐 tatianarueff.com 
📩 tatiana@tatianarueff.com 

For organisations, I also design and deliver senior leadership workshops and keynotes on leading through high-stakes transitions — enabling sustainable performance, clarity, and resilience under pressure.

Tatiana Rueff

𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞
𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐜𝐭.

Most of the leaders I work with aren’t stuck 
because they are not thinking enough.

They see what’s no longer working.
They understand the implications.
They have ideas to test.
They’ve thought it through - repeatedly.

What’s missing isn’t insight.

It’s a space where clarity turns into decisions,
and decisions turn into movement -
without rushing, proving, or forcing outcomes.

Some moments don’t need more effort.
They need the right kind of containment.

P.S. If something you’ve been circling feels ready to be addressed, this is the kind of transition that benefits from the right container.

Partnering with Leaders through High-Stakes Transitions | Clear Decisions & Sustainable Growth under Pressure | Executive & Leadership Transition Coach (ICF PCC) | Ex-Fortune 500

Tatiana Rueff, Executive and Leadership Transition Coach, standing in a snowy mountain village, looking calmly at the camera, with alpine houses and snow-covered peaks (Mont Blanc) behind her on a clear winter day.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧
𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞.

Between roles many leaders feel an invisible clock ticking.

They don’t want to rush.
They don’t want to repeat old patterns.
But they also don’t want to get stuck.

So they stay busy instead.

Networking.
Thinking.
Sending applications daily.
Scrolling LinkedIn.

Yet the discomfort isn’t really about time.
It’s about not having enough structure for the transition.

Without that, even thoughtful leaders start doubting themselves.

This is where transitions quietly stretch longer than necessary -
not because skills are missing,
but because support is.

P.S. Being between chapters isn’t a gap to fill. 
It’s a phase to take seriously.

A quiet home office with a wooden desk by a window, a beige leather chair slightly pulled back, an open laptop displaying emails, a notebook and pen, a coffee mug, and a digital clock showing 13:30, suggesting a paused workday and time passing.

𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐢𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐚 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐞𝐭 𝐥𝐚𝐤𝐞.
𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐚𝐧.

And waiting won’t make it calmer.

Many people are waiting.

Waiting for the market to improve.
Waiting for work to slow down.
Waiting for life to feel easier before they finally breathe again.

They hope the waters will calm.

But life is rarely a quiet lake.
Most of the time, it’s a wavy ocean - 
unpredictable, demanding, alive.

And while you’re waiting for perfect conditions,
your life is still passing by.

Sustainable growth doesn’t come from hoping the waves disappear.
It comes from learning how to surf.

From building balance, clarity, and resilience 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 you -
so you can navigate change without burning out
and even enjoy the ride.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦.
𝐖𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐢𝐬.

P.S. Where in your life are you still waiting for “better times”?

Guiding Senior Leaders & Teams Through Transitions | From Pressure to Clarity, Confidence & Sustainable Growth | Executive & Leadership Transition Coach (ICF PCC) | Ex-Fortune 500

A split image contrasting two approaches to challenge: on the left, a person stands at the edge of a turbulent ocean, watching the waves; on the right, a surfer actively rides a large wave, moving with strength and balance.

𝐁𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐞𝐱𝐡𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. 
𝐈𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭.

Many senior leaders don’t collapse.
They continue performing.

What changes first is something quieter.

Decisions take longer.
Recovery takes more effort.
Quality thinking time disappears.
Weekends bring more screen time than joy.

They tell themselves it’s temporary.
That pressure comes with the role.

Sometimes that’s true.
Often it’s a signal.

Sustainable growth isn’t about pushing less.
It’s about noticing when the cost is no longer worth the output.

That moment is easy to rationalise away -
until it forces a decision later, 
under worse conditions.

P.S. If the price of “doing well” has been rising for a while, it might be asking for your attention now.

Tatiana Rueff, executive and leadership transition coaching, seated on a wooden balcony overlooking snow-covered mountains and alpine houses, appearing thoughtful and composed in a calm winter setting.

𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚
𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐞𝐥𝐬𝐞 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞.

Scroll through LinkedIn on any given day and you’ll see it.

New role announcements.
Promotions.
Bigger titles.
Public celebrations of progress.

Most people could make these updates invisible - 
but they don’t.

Because being seen, acknowledged, and validated matters.
That’s human.

What we don’t talk about enough is the other side of those posts.

The quiet comparison they trigger in leaders who are already carrying a lot.

𝘈𝘮 𝘐 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘥?
𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘢𝘮 𝘐 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘦𝘵?
𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘐 𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘶𝘱 l𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘺 𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘦?
𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘦?

These questions don’t stop early in a career.

I hear them from VPs, CEOs, and founders -
especially in moments of transition.

The problem isn’t ambition.

The problem is the false idea that there’s a universal success ladder we’re supposed to follow.

There isn’t.

Careers are not straight lines.
They pause, accelerate, reset, and sometimes fall apart - 
often for reasons far beyond effort or talent.

When you measure yourself against someone else’s highlight reel, you risk seeing personal failure where there is none.

You’re not late.
You’re not early.

You are where your life has brought you - 
and you still get to decide what comes next.

𝐏.𝐒.  Which “should” have you been carrying that no longer serves you?

Man lying in bed at night looking at his phone, reflecting on social media comparison and career self-doubt.

𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 
𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧.

It’s not because you’re unprepared.
Or lacking confidence.
Or suddenly less capable.

It’s because you’re stepping into a system that already exists -
with unspoken expectations, inherited dynamics, 
and histories you didn’t create.

You’re being read before you fully understand the context.
Your decisions matter before you’ve had time to see the full picture.

And the pressure to “add value quickly” is constant, 
even when no one says it out loud.

Most leaders respond by accelerating.

They work harder.
They say yes more often.
They try to prove themselves early.

But early overcompensation is how misalignment starts.

The leaders who land well do something different.

They slow their thinking before they speed up their actions.
They take time to understand what’s really being asked of them, 
not just what’s written.

They decide what not to change yet.

This isn’t about confidence.
It’s about orientation.

The first moves you make set patterns that last far longer than people expect.

P.S. If you’re stepping into something new and feel the pressure to get it “right” quickly, that’s not a flaw. It’s the moment.

A professional woman stands by a large window overlooking a lake and mountains, reflecting quietly before stepping into a new role.

𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬.
Very few talked about what that reaction reveals about leadership.

When Emmanuel Macron wore sunglasses indoors at Davos, 
the world listened - and still speculated.

And this is the interesting part:
an explanation had already been given.

It was presented as a benign eye issue -
nothing strategic, nothing symbolic.

Still -

Memes spread.
Commentary escalated.
The company behind the sunglasses saw its share price jump 28%.

Not because eyewear matters -
but because when a leader breaks an unspoken norm, 
explanation alone doesn’t stop interpretation.

This happens inside organisations every day.

A leader goes quiet.
Delays a decision.
Shows up differently than expected.

Even when there is a rational reason,
the system keeps reading signals.

Stories fill the gap:

– “Something’s off.”
– “A restructuring is coming.”
– “There must be more going on.”

The real risk for leaders isn’t deviation.
It’s assuming clarity has been received just because it was provided.

Strong leadership isn’t about over-explaining.

It’s about recognising when perception has momentum -
and choosing whether to actively frame it, hold it, or redirect it.

Because whether you intend it or not,
people are always reading the signals.

PS: Where have you seen a small, unintended leadership signal take on disproportionate meaning?

A pair of blue-tinted aviator sunglasses on a light background.

𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐬.

Many leaders value reflection.

They think deeply.
They notice patterns.
They see what’s no longer working.

And then… they wait.

They tell themselves they’re “not ready yet”.
That they need a bit more time.
That there’s something urgent to take care of first.
That they’ll figure it out.

But insight has a shelf life.

What starts as awareness slowly turns into friction.
The same questions resurface.
The same tension returns, just louder.

At some point, not acting costs more than acting.

The tricky part is that nothing breaks immediately.

You keep functioning.
You keep thinking about it.
You keep living your life.

But over time, the cost shows up elsewhere -
in energy, focus, and the quality of decisions.

That’s when waiting stops being a pause
and starts shaping the outcome.

P.S. If something has been unaddressed for a while, this might be the moment it’s asking for a different response from you.

A man at a home office desk looks at an hourglass as time passes, reflecting on decisions and waiting.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 90 𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐝𝐥𝐲.
𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐭.

Most leaders prepare hard for interviews.
Very few prepare for what comes after.

They step into a role already moving.
With inherited dynamics they didn’t design.
And expectations that aren’t fully spoken.

So they compensate early.

They try to add value fast.
They change things quickly.

And sometimes… 
they lock in patterns they later have to undo.

The leaders who land well don’t rush alignment.
They create space to think before they accelerate action.

That window is brief.
And often underestimated.

P.S. If you’ve recently stepped into a new role and feel the pressure to move fast, this is the moment I help leaders slow their thinking before their actions lock in.
You don’t need to navigate it alone.

A silhouetted man standing indoors by a window, looking out at blurred car lights moving quickly through the night, suggesting contrast between stillness and speed.

𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐧 𝐩𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐫
𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡 𝐚 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐞.

Many senior leaders look like they’re doing fine.

They deliver.
They show up.
They keep things moving.

But privately, the cost is rising.

More effort to stay focused.
More recovery time after non-stop meetings.
Less space to think clearly.

They tell themselves:

“𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘢 𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘩𝘢𝘴𝘦.”
“𝘐 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴.”
“𝘖𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘮 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘦.”

High performance can mask misalignment for a long time.

Until one day, the question shifts from

“𝘊𝘢𝘯 𝘐 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴?”
to
“𝘋𝘰 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘺?”

That’s not weakness.
That’s information.

P.S. Where has “pushing through” quietly become your default?

𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐬. 
Poor positioning is.

Most senior leaders don’t struggle because transitions take too long.
They struggle because they stay too broad for too long.

Time itself isn’t the problem.
Ambiguity is.

When your message sounds like:

“𝘐’𝘮 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯.”
“𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘥𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴.”
“𝘐’𝘮 𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘹𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦.”

You make it harder for others to place you -
and easier for the wrong opportunities to absorb your energy.

At senior level, clarity isn’t a constraint.
It’s a service.

The leaders who land well don’t rush.
They narrow deliberately - often with support - 
long before urgency starts making decisions for them.

The right support doesn’t just protect the outcome.

It sharpens positioning 
and that’s what changes the timeline.

If this resonates, you’re already thinking at the right level.

A narrow mountain path running along a green ridge under a clear blue sky, with steep slopes on both sides, symbolising focus and deliberate career progress.

𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐬. 
𝐈𝐭 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐝𝐲𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐜𝐬. 

When an organisation goes through transition - 
a leadership change, restructuring, strategy shift - 
the impact isn’t limited to roles or org charts. 

Team dynamics change first. 

What I often observe is not open resistance, but subtle shifts: 

– Decision-making slows 
– Ownership becomes blurred 
– Informal leaders go quiet 
– High performers start self-protecting 

On the surface, work continues. 
Underneath, alignment erodes. 

This isn’t a people problem. 
It’s a leadership transition problem. 

Teams need clarity on: 

– what still matters 
– what has changed 
– where decisions now sit 
– and what “good performance” looks like in the new context 

Without that, leaders spend months compensating with more meetings, more pressure, and more effort - 
often burning out their best people in the process. 

Sustainable leadership in transition isn’t about pushing harder. 
It’s about stabilising the system so people can perform again. 

That’s the work I do with leaders and organisations navigating change.

An empty leadership meeting room in a modern office with panoramic views over Zurich, representing organisational transition, decision-making, and the need for leadership clarity.

𝐌𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭.

They notice when something starts to feel off.
When the role demands more than it gives back.
When effort increases but clarity doesn’t.

What’s harder is knowing how to respond in that moment.

Do you pause and think it through alone?
Do you give it time, hoping the pressure will ease?
Do you reach for an external perspective or structured support early enough?

I see very capable leaders make very different choices at this point.

And those choices quietly shape how long transitions last and how costly they become.

I’m curious what tends to be true for you in practice, not in theory.

When you realise something in your career is no longer sustainable, what do you tend to do first?

The author can see how you vote. Learn more

Building ⭐ performance teams that deliver true digital transformation

I’m a technology and transformation leader passionate about turning strategy into meaningful outcomes - for people, teams, and organizations.

Over the past decade, I’ve led initiatives across pharma, healthcare, and digital ecosystems, helping global teams deliver innovation that matters. My focus is simple: connect human insight with technical excellence to create environments where people perform at their best.

I believe transformation isn’t just about systems or tools; it’s about trust, clarity, and purpose. As a coach and author of A Life in Motion, I apply that philosophy to help leaders align strategy with culture, and vision with execution.

I’m always exploring opportunities where I can combine leadership, technology, and coaching to drive organizational growth and help teams create extraordinary results - sustainably and together.

Eduardo dos Santos Silva

🎉 Breaking news:
It’s a new year.

Yes. I know.
Very exclusive announcement. 😄

But before we rush into goals, resolutions, and gym memberships that will expire by February… let’s pause for a second.

Because what we call “the new year” is actually a cultural agreement, not a universal truth.

In much of the Western world, we reset on January 1st, driven by the Gregorian calendar.

Clean slate. New chapter. Fresh start.

But elsewhere, time turns differently:
🪔 In India, calendars like Vikram Samvat and Shaka Samvat tie time to cycles, seasons, and meaning.

🐉 In Chinese culture, the Lunar New Year arrives later marked by renewal, luck, and energy shifts.

🌙 In Islamic tradition, the Hijri calendar moves with the moon, reminding us that time itself is fluid.

✡️ In the Jewish calendar, Rosh Hashanah is a time for reflection, repair, and return.

🌍 In Ethiopia, renewal after the rains in September brings the new year.

Different calendars.
Same human need.

We use big, meaningful milestones to reset 
- because our minds are wired for it.

Psychologically, these moments act as mental bookmarks.
They give us permission to pause, reflect, and begin again.

And yes, even though I work mindfully on resets throughout the year… this one is still the most powerful.

So here’s my personal practice, every year:

🕊️ First, I sit quietly for a minute or two.
 I thank the year that passed; not just for the wins, but for everything.
 Flashes of moments. Lessons. People. Growth.

🔮 Then, I visualize what matters for the year ahead.
 Not a to-do list.
 But feelings, directions, relationships, impact.

I don’t force it.
I prime myself.

And more often than not… those things find their way into reality.

Maybe because clarity changes how we act.
Maybe because attention changes what we notice.
Maybe because commitment quietly reshapes our choices.

So if you’re resetting today, you’re not late, dramatic, or naïve.
You’re human.

Happy New Year!
However - and whenever - you choose to mark it. ✨

If you are choosing to pause today, here’s a question worth sitting with:
What do you want to thank before you move forward, and what do you want to invite in next?

Take a moment.
Intention doesn’t guarantee outcomes
- but it changes how we walk toward them.

🍃 A Life in Motion | Growth. Transformation. Results.

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I read it and immediately got the chills.
“This is what I’m doing to stay relevant…”

The second worst corporate, most prejudicial quote ever. 

(what is the first? 🧐)

But why does it make me feel like this?
It takes me back to an executive I’ve met.

That sentence became his mantra 
 -  repeated in meetings and in every communication.

I was younger then, but already curious, so I paid attention:
how did people in the team respond to it?

Take a guess before reading further…
maybe even note your answers down.

...

Now… this is what I saw…

Everything slowly became about: 

📢 shouting about successes
(even when they didn’t exist)

🥵 looking busy and important
 (often wasting company time and money)

🤔talking to people who could promote us
 (instead of clients and partners)

Later, I observed the same pattern with so-called leaders who were:
 👉 learning 
 👉 taking new roles
 👉 posting here
…
 to stay relevant.

Not because they were curious.
Not because they wanted to grow.
Not because they were interested in a challenge or in helping others.

And that's what makes all the difference. 

Staying relevant as a consequence
 = fulfilment as we grow and achieve results.

Staying relevant as a goal
 = surrendering to our fear of loss.

I once had the chance to coach one such leader. And you know what I found?

A wonderful - and scared - human being.

Someone who could lead change,
but decided instead to hang on to one job.

Then got the own identify lost in the process and spent the few next years regretting the things they sacrificed to stay relevant.

That’s what  such culture does to executives.

Who loses?
Themselves first.
Then their teams.
And finally the company - shareholders included.

Have you ever caught your organization 
- or  yourself  - 
 confusing growth with staying relevant?

Let's think about that before jumping into 2026 goals...

Back in Dubai, I have found this interesting machine: it would produce a unique perfume for you based on a personality test. I imagined that industry asking itself "how do we stay relevant?" - when that is probably a bad question to ask. What would be a better question?

To end the year well, I hurt my leg real bad…
That was on December 18th -
last football training before the break.

I couldn’t believe it 🥵

I couldn’t even walk for the first two days.
I still need to walk slowly now,
and I clearly won’t be running for a few more weeks.

That was a first for me -
especially because I was feeling healthy and strong.

Worse: I knew immediately that I’d failed my objective 🎯

My Objective and Key Result (OKR):
Staying healthy and active
→ A minimum of 10,000 steps each month

How was the year tracking?

Before 2025, I’d been beating the 10,000 yearly average for a while.
Even got to 11,000.
But winter months were a disaster.

In 2025?
I made it every single month.
December was even tracking close to 12,000. ❤️‍🔥

And then… gone.

That got me thinking about how I set goals -
and how individuals and companies set goals.

Some goals are designed to be achieved.
(“Easy” goals.)

The problem?
They don’t take us further.
Worse, they can be misleading.

We see them behind layoffs that don’t aim to save failing companies, but to artificially boost short-term profits.

On the other extreme: over-stretching.
What if I set a minimum of 10,000 steps every single day?
I’d almost certainly fail.

There’s weather.
 Sickness.
 Family.
 Work.

Too many variables -
unrealistic, misaligned with priorities.

Those goals don’t motivate.
They break people.

Companies that set them get employees faking results
or disengaging altogether.

So this is how I orient myself when defining goals 👇
Challenging enough that I might fail -
but never to the point of breaking.

(that’s also why vision matters but that’s for another post.)

Some asked me last week about “Word of the year”
or “New Year’s resolutions”.

The first can be helpful 👍 
after I set my OKRs.

The word surfaces from them.
For me, 2026 is INTEGRATION.

The second, I push back on 👎
It’s broad and aspirational,
emotionally loaded,
fragile and vague.

It often invites frustration.

One example here on how it works for me:
Using OKRs kept me active on LinkedIn for 2+ years now.

That’s why in 2026 I’ll increase focus and reduce activity:
Posting twice a week instead of three.
Commenting and engaging one extra day instead.

The number of people I effectively helped will be my key result -
as part of multiplying positive impact as my objective 🙏

That’s how I know I’ll keep contributing here without burning out.

Can I fail?
Yes.
I just did - with the steps.

But in failing, I also saw how close I got.
And inspired by that,
I’ll raise the stakes this year.

That’s how objectives help in life.

Not as a destination.
But as the track of our journey.

What kind of goals have helped you grow 
- and which ones quietly broke you?

Right leg hurt and supported by a compression sock

I wanted to say so much more…
and yet, I couldn’t. 😮

Aytuna, Emily, Vaclav  and I spoke for over an hour about resumes.

What works.
What doesn’t.
The experiences we’ve had along the way.

The thing is -
 I had just been hired. 🥳

Literally the day before.

Not enough time to process it all.
Even less to communicate it properly.

But if I could have said just one thing in that conversation,
it would have been this:

“You’re right. I’ve just been hired 
- and this is mostly what I’ve done.”

What about it, you ask?
🌟 where does a great resume starts
🌟 how to leverage AI, and how not to
🌟 using a blank page
🌟 what intentional networking is
(ok, we deviated from the theme there 🤣)

If you’re curious to go deeper,
jump into your podcast app of choice
and listen to the full episode.

Despite the technical challenges 😧,
we saved most of the good material for you 😁

💬 What’s the one resume tip that really worked for you?

𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐰𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐲 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬?
I don’t think so. 😮
(Before you react, let me explain.)

This question has been on my mind and a recent post by Paulo Barriga helped me connect the final dots on the different forms of empathy and how easily we confuse them.

Let me be clear:
💡 Life is better surrounded by empathetic people
💡 Empathy amplifies individual and collective results
💡 Communities thrive when leaders show empathy
💡 I’d love for us all to be wholeheartedly empathetic

Yes - I’m still team empathy.

The problem is expecting it from others.
Or worse - demanding it.

𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐞?
Empathy is not evenly distributed.

Some people feel it deeply.
Some feel it selectively.
Some understand it cognitively, but don’t experience it emotionally.
Some can perform it convincingly without feeling it at all.

And here’s the uncomfortable part:
When empathy becomes a moral requirement, it becomes a tool.

It can be used to:
❌ manipulate
❌ extract compliance
❌ silence disagreement
❌ blur accountability

Especially in environments where power, incentives, or pressure are involved.

That’s why Paulo’s distinction between cognitive empathy and affective empathy matters so much.

Cognitive empathy can drive progress and coordination.
But when detached from ethics or transparency, it can also enable manipulation.

𝐀 𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐰𝐞 𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭
If we truly embrace diversity, we must accept something uncomfortable:
Not everyone will lead - or decide - through empathy.

Some leaders operate through:
🌟 clarity 
🌟 duty
🌟 principles
🌟 responsibility under pressure

They may not feel with you -
but they may still act fairly, consistently, and predictably.

And sometimes, predictability protects people more than warmth ever could.

𝐒𝐨 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐰𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐝?
For me, the answer is transparency.

Transparency is harder than empathy.
It doesn’t feel good.
It doesn’t comfort.
It doesn’t soothe.

But it does something empathy often can’t:
It tells you where you stand.

That’s why it sits at the core of good negotiation (Chris Voss knows this well):
Empathy may get a yes,
Transparency gives you a real no 
- and a place to start real conversations.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈’𝐦 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡
Instead of asking:
“Why aren’t they empathetic?”

I’m learning to ask:
What are they being transparent about?
What are they unwilling to hide?
What trade-offs are they naming?
Where might empathy cloud my judgment?

Because empathy, when freely offered, is a gift.

But when expected, demanded, or moralized…
… it makes us vulnerable to disappointment & manipulation.

𝐌𝐲 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧
From my leaders, I’d rather have transparency than empathy.
And if empathy comes on top of that?
Thank you. ❤️‍🔥

Curious to hear your take -
Should empathy be expected from leaders, or appreciated when it appears?

Two characters, a man and a robot, discuss empathy. 

Starting 2026 with a difficult book. On purpose.
(apparently this is my hobby now 🤣)

Modern psychology is powerful.
But is it complete? 🤔

This first book review of the year explores why psychology without spirit feels incomplete - and what we may be missing when we over-optimize rationality.

A recommendation from a friend…
and yet I cannot remember from whom!

 (Shout in the comments if it was you 😊)

📘 Integral Psychology, Ken Wilber
📖 Full reflection below

Wait a minute now -
before you go…
I’m curious:

What challenged your thinking recently? 👇

View newsletter: Book Reviews & Recommendations

Intro This is a review of a book that came into my life because I was reading another book. How? I picked up Foundation, by Isaac Asimov, to re-read a

Open article: From Psychohistory to the Soul by Eduardo dos Santos Silva • 6 min read

We talk a lot about “empowering others.”

But there’s a question we rarely ask:
👉 When does empowerment actually work and when does it fail?

A nuclear submarine might seem like an odd place to explore that question🤔 and yet…

This article reflects on "Turn the Ship Around" by L. David Marquet, and on a tension I couldn’t ignore:

Leadership, competence, 
and the uncomfortable role 
excellence plays in trust.

📖 Full reflection below
I’d love to hear your take.

Intro It was on a LinkedIn-triggered intro coffee meeting in Zurich, a slightly cold morning in the middle of a random week last year, that I first ca

Open article: Leader-Leader Works… But Only If You Earn It First by Eduardo dos Santos Silva • 6 min read

Leader-Leader Works… But Only If You Earn It First

Why do I review books for you here?
Because I know how much they changed my life.
But there is a problem…

Three years of reading.
Three years of sharing.

There are too many of them! 🤣 

A summary can turn 200–700 pages into 2 or 3.
But now there are 50+ reviews available for you.

So where do you start?
(that’s a real question I’ve been asked here.)

Thinking about it, I decided to summarize even further.
50+ book reviews.
50+ sentences.

So you can choose what speaks to you,
save time, gain knowledge and 
- maybe - have fun.

If this is helpful, save it and download it.
It’s my gift for you.
Even if Christmas has already passed! 🎁

Can I ask for something in return?

📚 ONE book you recommend -
 with a sentence that goes with it 👇

Book Reviews up to Jan 2026 with Links

I am resharing this on a nice Friday afternoon because…

It made my week 🥰

Thank you!

AI Success Copilot Architect | Neuroscience-Driven Coach | Architecting Mental Wellness in the Age of AI

Book Review - They say you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but you should judge it by where it takes you. 🌍

From Greek Sunsets to Swiss Peaks: The Book That Changed My Gear 🏔️☀️

I started reading "A Life in Motion" https://amzn.eu/d/fhJa4bX by my mentor Eduardo dos Santos Silva while watching the sunset in Greece,  finished at the base of the mountains!  It hasn’t just been a book—it’s been the Promethean fire for my mindset, sparking a total transformation in how I see my own path.

Why this book stands out in a crowded self-development market:
Eduardo has a rare gift for cutting through the noise. Where most books offer "fluff," this one hands you a compass and a blueprint. Using the "Wheel of Life" framework, it takes you from "stuck" to "strategy" by bridging the gap between:
🧘‍♀️ Deep Mindfulness and internal clarity.
💸 Financial Strategy and practical habit-building.

It’s the only guide I’ve found that treats personal growth as a dynamic journey rather than a static goal.

If you’re looking for a reset, here is why I recommend it: 
✅ Action-Oriented: Every chapter ends with concrete tasks. 
✅ Holistic: It connects the "puzzle pieces" of life (health, wealth, and mind). ✅ Practical: It’s a manual for building a life, not just a collection of theories.

I read it to reset my summer; I’m using it to power my winter. ❄️

If you are looking for a sign to get moving, this is it.

#ALifeInMotion #PersonalGrowth #MindsetShift #Leadership #BookRecommendation #SwissAlps

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