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

𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 
𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐈 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐫𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐞.

Early in my corporate career, 
I believed strong leaders absorb pressure.
So I did.

I filled decision gaps.
Clarified ambiguity others left open.
Carried risk quietly.

It worked - for a while.

Until I stepped into a role with broader scope and higher expectations.

What had made me effective before
no longer worked in the same way.

I wasn’t leading.
I was compensating.

And it was exhausting.

Senior leadership isn’t demanding only because of workload.
It’s demanding when ownership is unclear - especially above you.

When no one clearly holds the decision:
- meetings multiply
- alignment rounds repeat
- pressure rises quietly

The turning point for me was learning to say:

“This is mine.”
 Or
 “This is not.”

Clean authority is lighter than quiet over-responsibility.

That shift changes not only performance -
but your own sustainability.

𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟,
𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠
𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝?

Executive & Leadership Transition Coach (ICF PCC) | Strategic Clarity & Conscious Authority for Senior Leaders in Transition | Ex-Fortune 500

𝐀 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲.
𝐈𝐭 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐭.

I remember a senior leader telling me, two weeks into his new role:

“𝘐 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘐’𝘥 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘣𝘪𝘨𝘨𝘦𝘳.
𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘥, 𝘐 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘥.”

Nothing had gone wrong.
But suddenly:

- his pauses felt longer
- his decisions felt heavier
- his agenda felt political
- and his usual confidence felt… slightly shaken

This is what most people don’t say out loud.

The title changes overnight.
The internal recalibration doesn’t.

In the first weeks of a bigger role, something subtle happens:

You become more careful.
You prepare more.
You replay conversations.
You try to get alignment before taking a stance.

Not because you’re incapable.

Because visibility amplifies self-doubt before it amplifies authority.

And people are already assessing:

- Can they hold pressure?
- Can they make clean decisions without over-consulting?
- Can they tolerate disagreement without softening too quickly?

A bigger title doesn’t stabilise you.
It magnifies whatever is already there.

And if that recalibration doesn’t happen early,
hesitation quietly becomes your leadership signature.

If you’ve recently stepped into a bigger role (or you’re about to) the real question isn’t:

“𝑯𝒐𝒘 𝒅𝒐 𝑰 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒎𝒚𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇?”

It is:

“𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒖𝒑 𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒍𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒍 𝒐𝒇 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒆?”

If this phase feels familiar, message me “𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥.”
This is the window where stabilisation is easier (and far less costly) than correction later.

Clarity and direction doesn’t come from overthinking. It comes from alignment. And learning that changed everything for me.

I wasn’t happy in my career as HR Consultant but didn’t know what I actually wanted. Ironically, interviewing 100s of people in my job made me realise I wasn’t the only one. Many had stumbled into careers without finding real joy.

That planted a seed: I wanted to help people make conscious choices and feel energised by their work. In 2013, I started doing exactly that.
But I soon realised that knowing your talents, what energises you, wasn’t enough. It’s about self-awareness: knowing what drives you and knowing how to build a thriving mindset. That combination drives aligned action and eventually, sustainable success. All the small courageous steps help you give clear direction to your career and grow into the leader you want to be.

Here’s what that looks like for my clients:
→ Gain clarity on the role they want and the kind of leader they want to be.→ Say no without guilt and lead in ways that honor everyone involved.
→ Communicate calmly, clearly, and powerfully so they’re respected as leaders.
→ Protect their energy, focus on what matters, and rediscover joy in work.
→ Cut self-doubt in half and rebuild self-trust, even under pressure.

Since then, I’ve:
⦿ Guided 250+ clients through career and leadership transformations.
⦿ Worked with leaders and teams to create lasting mindset shifts.
⦿ Supported executives and managers from organisations like Carrefour, Mercedes-Benz Trucks, Sanofi, The Nature Conservancy, and the UN.
⦿ Helped founders build leadership styles that support their company’s growth.

What clients say: “My experience working with Ilse has been transformative and immensely beneficial for both my personal and professional growth.”(Find more testimonials in the recommendations on my profile.)
If you’re ready to stop firefighting and start leading with clarity, confidence, and sustainable success, let’s talk. 📩 Book a call: https://CoachingIlseNoppen.as.me/StrategyCall

If you're not ready to work one-on-one, you can join my group programme 'Time to Thrive'.
If you want to boost your self-confidence, navigate challenges with calm and focus and tackle issues with greater self-assurance, Time to Thrive is for you. It's an 8 week programme for professionals and business owners who want keep performing at a high level without sacrificing their health or relationships. 
For more info go to: https://truenorthconsulting.eu/time-to-thrive/

Ilse Noppen

Are you unhappy in your job? The last thing to do is to look for a new job!
 
 If you...
 
drag your feet to work,
wonder why the heck you're there,
feel drained at the end of the day,
 
this video is for you!
 
Here is one solid advice: The last thing to do is to quit your job. 
Because the danger of you making the wrong choice is real.
 
Instead, try the 3 suggestions I share in this video. 

And if you would like more ideas, contact me here on LinkedIn and let's see what you could do specifically. 

🗓️ 24 Feb 2026

*****
If we haven’t met, Hi my name’s Ilse! I help mid-career leaders stop overthinking so they can make clear decisions and lead with confidence.

👉 Follow for insights on leadership, mindset & self-awareness
 💬 Comment or DM me; always happy to exchange thoughts
 ♻️ Share if this resonated with you

Empowering professionals and founders to find joy and meaning in work | Move towards your career goals with efficiency, ease and joy. 🔹 Leadership and Positive Intelligence Coach

She dreaded Sunday at 3pm.

Not because she hated her job.
She was good at it.
Senior role. Strong results. Trusted by her team.

But every Sunday, around mid-afternoon, something shifted.
A heaviness. A quiet resistance.

By Monday morning she was already tired.
Still professional.
Still delivering.
Still the reliable one.

And she told herself:
❌  “At least I have a good job.”
❌  “It’s just a busy phase.”
❌ “I don’t have time to rethink everything now.”

So she pushed through.
Nothing collapsed. That’s what made it easy to ignore.

But slowly, the cost showed up.
Her energy flattened.
She became more transactional, less visionary.
She stopped putting herself forward.

The stretch project she wanted - went to someone else.
The promotion she felt ready for - also someone else.
Not because she wasn’t capable. But because someone else showed up with hunger.

That’s the thing about inaction.
It doesn’t explode your career.  It erodes it.

When we started working together, we didn’t begin with “Should I quit?”

We began with:
💫  What sparks you up?
 💫 What are you tolerating?
 💫 Where are you leading from depletion instead of conviction?

Within months, nothing dramatic had changed externally. But internally? Completely different.
Energy back.
Boundaries clearer.
Voice stronger.
And interestingly, opportunities followed.

The Sunday Scaries disappeared. Not because her job changed overnight, but because she made small significant changes. 


You might recognise yourself in her story.
And if you do, that’s not a problem. It’s a starting point.
If Sunday 3pm feels familiar, let’s talk.
I’m opening 2 private coaching spots for a March start.

🗓️ 2 Mar 2026

*****
If we haven’t met, Hi my name’s Ilse! I help mid-career women leaders stop overthinking so they can make clear decisions and lead with confidence.
Curious what working with me could bring you? Feel free to reach out if you'd like an intro call.

What is abundance for you?


For some it’s
Time
Sitting on a cozy sofa
Love

When I heard the question, I visualised a river in which everything that is possible is flowing.
All I have to do is reach out and take what I want.
(I’m still learning exactly how to do that 🤪 but that’s what abundance feels like to me.)

I enjoyed listening to Katrin Van de Water share her views on abundance and her journey towards it, with calm, poise, and groundedness.

Here are my main takeaways:

💫 Abundance is an inner state of being that allows you to go for what you truly want.

💫 To experience abundance, you first need to know what you want and connect with that deeper part of yourself to gain clarity. 
And we’re not just talking about work. While work can be the motor, everything matters: environment, relationships, fun and recreation, personal growth, contribution, health, and yes, also money. Because all these parts influence each other.

💫 For most of us, there is also some unlearning to do. How often are we told:
❌ That’s not possible!
❌ You need to be realistic.
❌ The market won’t pay for that.

As a result, many of us grow up with a scarcity mindset - focusing on why something cannot work instead of getting curious about how it might.

💫 We think too small. Sometimes you simply need to open the window to see what’s possible.

💫 Nothing lasts forever. Nothing is static.
If you’re unhappy in your job, that’s simply data. By going on that internal journey - reconnecting with what matters to you and what you love doing - you can start making changes and increase your energy.

💫 You decide who you want to be.

In essence, be in the driver’s seat of your career and life. That’s a core belief of mine, and I love helping my clients do exactly that.

Thank you #Artemis for organising this lovely event and #BankVanDelen for hosting it.
Goedele - lovely to catch up with you again.
Katrien - it was great exchanging our first thoughts on abundance.

And above all, thank you, Katrin, for sharing your story. I’m looking forward to reading your book.


Food for thought for the weekend: What would more time/energy make possible?

📆 6 Mar 2026

Most high-performing leaders don’t struggle with competence.
They struggle with what’s under the surface.
It’s an iceberg problem.

At the surface, you see:

Overwork.
Tension in meetings.
Over-delivering.
Holding everything together.

We try to fix what’s visible.

Better planning.
Stricter KPIs.
Another training.

But that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Below the waterline?

The need to prove.
The fear of disappointing.
The quiet voice whispering: Don’t mess this up.

(Yes - imposter syndrome often lives there.)

Under pressure, your brain doesn’t suddenly become irrational. It predicts.
It activates the pattern that once earned you praise, safety, success.

For me, that pattern is over-functioning.
If something stalls, I step in.
If someone struggles, I fix it.
It makes me look capable.
It also drains my energy - and leaves little room for growth, myself or others.

What once helped you rise can quietly start shrinking you.
What got you here, won’t get you there.

Real leadership growth doesn’t start with doing more.
It starts below the surface.
Noticing your default under pressure.
Pausing long enough to choose - instead of react.

That pause is small. But it's often the turning point. 

So I’m curious:

When pressure rises, do you tend to
 A) Take control
 B) Over-prepare
 C) Avoid the conversation
 D) Push harder
 E) Something else?

I’ll go first: A.

🗓️ 26 Feb 2026

My client had a problem most leaders don't talk about: she cared too much.

She's the kind of leader people naturally turn to. Empathetic, present, always ready to help. But somewhere along the way, helping turned into rescuing.

A team member was going through something personal that affected her work. My client didn't just listen - she jumped in to fix it. She took over tasks, adjusted deadlines, shielded her from consequences. 

After days of this, she was exhausted. The team member? Still struggling, now more dependent than ever.

This is what happens when we prioritize everyone else's needs over our own boundaries.

My client knew something had to change. Through our work together, she started to pause before jumping in. She got curious about her patterns. Why did she always need to rescue? What was she afraid would happen if she didn't?

The shift wasn't overnight, but here's what changed:

💫 She learned to separate empathy from responsibility. She could care about someone's struggle without owning it.

💫 She got comfortable with discomfort - letting people sit with their challenges instead of swooping in to solve them.

💫 She started saying things like "I hear you, and I trust you can figure this out" instead of "Let me handle that for you."

💫 She realized boundaries aren't walls - they're clarity about where her role ends and someone else's begins.

Today she's still the empathetic leader people turn to. But she's also sleeping better, feeling less resentful, and watching her team members actually grow stronger.

Setting boundaries isn't about caring less. It's about leading better.

What's your relationship with boundaries?

*****
If we haven’t met, Hi my name’s Ilse! I help mid-career leaders stop overthinking so they can make clear decisions and lead with confidence.

👉 Follow for insights on leadership, mindset & self-awareness
 💬 Comment or DM me; always happy to exchange thoughts
 ♻️ Share if this resonated with you

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Tatiana Rueff

Ilse Noppen

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The Battle

Tatiana Rueff

Ilse Noppen

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Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Tatiana Rueff's LinkedIn Performance

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