More About Me
My professional journey has been shaped by one consistent theme:
working with people in complex organisations, where leadership, strategy, projects and change constantly intersect.
Over the past twenty years, I have worked across industries, business models and countries, leading teams, shaping strategy, navigating transformation and delivering complex projects.
I have lived and worked in five countries and collaborated daily with international, cross-functional teams. Those experiences have shaped how I see leadership today: not as something that happens in isolation, but as a deeply human and contextual process – influenced by people, relationships, expectations, organisational dynamics and the wider system around us.
COMPANIES I HAVE WORKED FOR:
How My Experience Shaped the Way I See Leadership
Over the years, I became increasingly interested not only in what organisations were trying to achieve, but in what enabled people to make it happen.
A strategy can be clear and a project well designed, yet the outcome still depends on how people interpret it, how leaders show up, how teams work together, and whether people feel able to contribute their best thinking, creativity and strengths.
I have seen that engagement is not something that can simply be asked for. It grows when people understand the direction, feel that their contribution matters, and work in an environment where they have enough trust, clarity and ownership to use their abilities well.
For me, leadership is therefore not only about setting direction or making decisions. It is also about creating the conditions in which people can contribute their best – bringing their judgement, ideas, creativity and strengths into the work.
I believe that people, creativity and talent, together with curiosity, consumer focus and the ability to adapt, will remain at the heart of sustainable organisational performance as the world around us continues to change.
I also learned that people cannot be understood separately from the environment around them. Our choices and behaviours are shaped by our strengths, beliefs and experiences, but also by relationships, expectations, culture, organisational dynamics and the systems we are part of.
That gradually shifted my focus towards the human side of leadership and transformation – helping people understand themselves and their context more deeply, strengthen their own capability, and create the conditions in which individuals and teams can contribute, learn and grow.
My Coaching Approach
For me, coaching is first of all a partnership between two people.
It is not about applying a fixed tool or method to every situation, and it is not only about creating space for reflection. I bring myself into the conversation too – my experience, perspective, questions and sometimes a different way of looking at what is happening. At the same time, the thinking, choices and ownership always stay with you.
I am interested in both you as a person and the environment you are working within.
That might mean exploring your strengths, assumptions, reactions, patterns or the way you show up as a leader. But it may also mean looking at the people around you, stakeholder dynamics, strategic priorities, organisational expectations, culture or the wider system you are working within.
For me, those things are rarely separate.
A leadership challenge can look personal but be strongly shaped by the environment around you. An organisational issue can also be influenced by the way you interpret it, respond to it or interact with others. Often, the most useful work comes from looking at both sides together.
I also like coaching to stay practical.
Insight is important, but I am interested in what you do with it. A new perspective may lead to a different conversation, a clearer decision, a change in behaviour, an experiment, or simply a better understanding of what is really going on.
And finally, how we work together matters to me.
I want the coaching relationship to have enough trust for honest reflection, enough challenge to open up new perspectives, and enough lightness and curiosity for learning not to feel heavy all the time.
My aim is to help you strengthen your own awareness, judgement and capability – so that what you discover in coaching stays useful long after the conversation itself.
Experience & Qualifications
Alongside more than 20 years of international leadership experience, I have continued to deepen my practice through formal learning in strategy, change, leadership and coaching.
My development includes Prosci Change Management Certification, Executive Education at INSEAD and CEDEP, and a Professional Certificate in Executive Coaching at Henley Business School.
Together, they give me different ways of looking at leadership – from strategy and organisational performance to change, people and self-awareness – which I can bring into the coaching conversation when they are useful.
I am based in the UK and work internationally, coaching primarily online and supporting teams and organisations through both virtual and in-person work.
MY GUIDING VALUES:
Transparency
I believe in being open and clear — about intent, expectations, constraints, and uncertainties.
I don’t oversell, hide complexity, or promise easy answers where none exist.
Transparency builds trust, and trust is the foundation of any meaningful leadership or transformation journey.
Respect
I work with people, not roles or functions.
Respect means listening carefully, acknowledging experience, and valuing different perspectives — even (and especially) when opinions differ.
Sustainable change starts with mutual respect.
Integrity
I act with honesty and consistency, even when it is uncomfortable.
This means saying what I think, doing what I say, and keeping confidentiality at all times.
My independence of thought and ethical stance are non-negotiable.
Responsibility
I take responsibility for the quality of my work and the way I show up — while respecting that leaders remain responsible for their decisions.
I don’t create dependency; I aim to strengthen ownership, judgement, and accountability within individuals and teams.
Continuous Learning
I believe leadership and organizations are never “finished.”
Curiosity, reflection, and learning — from experience, from others, and from structured knowledge — are essential to staying relevant, humble, and effective in a changing world.
What I Believe In
These beliefs shape how I work with leaders, teams, and organizations — and how I show up in every conversation.
Self-awareness
as the foundation
I believe self-awareness is at the heart of leadership.
Understanding ourselves — our patterns, reactions, strengths, and blind spots — is what allows us to understand others, build trust, and lead consciously rather than reactively
Kindness as a
leadership strength
For me, kindness is not softness — it is a choice and a strength.
It creates safety, trust, and openness, and it allows honest conversations to happen without fear. I have seen again and again that kindness and performance are not opposites — they reinforce each other.
Strengths
over correction
I believe in focusing on strengths and expanding capabilities, rather than fixing mistakes or forcing people into a standard “average.”
When people work from their strengths, they grow faster, contribute more, and feel more engaged. Excellence rarely comes from correction alone.
Zest & Energy
I believe work doesn’t have to feel heavy to be serious.
I value lively conversations, energy, curiosity, and momentum. Transformation and learning happen best when people feel engaged, alive, and involved — not drained.
Positivity
and human potential
I genuinely believe that people can change — and that most people are capable of far more than they think.
With the right mindset, support, and environment, individuals and teams can grow, adapt, and achieve outcomes that once felt out of reach.
Humour as perspective
Humour is one of my superpowers.
I take my work very seriously, but I don’t believe in taking myself too seriously all the time. Even in difficult situations, there is often a way to create lightness, perspective, and connection — and that matters more than we sometimes admit.
Curiosity & Learning
I am deeply curious — about people, their stories, their choices, and their contexts.
I am equally curious about learning: new ideas, research, frameworks, and perspectives. I believe staying open, reflective, and willing to learn is essential for leaders — and for myself.
Contact Me
If you have a question, would like to explore working together, or want to discuss support for your team or organisation, feel free to get in touch.
I will get back to you the soonest possible.
Or you can contact me direclty at:
Laszlo Szabo