Beyond the Noise

You can be getting results and still be running out of energy, clarity, and the capacity to enjoy the life you’re building.Leadership coach and author Rich Lohman joins Anastasija Lynch and Khurshid Zaynutdinov to explore why capable leaders burn out, and why working harder can keep them stuck.Rich shares a revealing observation: around 90% of the people he assesses haven’t written down a personal plan for success. They get up, go to work, and try to succeed. But towards what?In this episode, we explore:• Why strong business results can hide a struggling team• Recognising when you need recovery rather than more effort• Turning activity into meaningful progress• Focusing on one development priority at a time• Supporting people through the challenges they carry outside work• Why younger generations are questioning the leadership lifestyles they see• How one client reduced turnover among recent hires from 47% to 11% over two and a half yearsAn honest conversation about leadership burnout, employee retention, and defining success beyond getting through another working day.CONNECT WITH RICH LOHMANLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richlohman/Website and resources: https://getfullyresourced.com/BOOKS DISCUSSEDFully Resourced: 4 Leadership Shifts That Turn Activity Into Accomplishment — Rich LohmanPublished since our conversation.https://getfullyresourced.com/the-bookA New Kind of Diversity: Making the Different Generations on Your Team a Competitive Advantage — Tim ElmoreRESOURCES & REFERENCESRich discusses his SCALE assessments and GAP Report, Two Types of Character worksheet, and Passport to Growth programme. Explore his website for resources and current availability:https://getfullyresourced.com/The conversation also references Rich’s mentor John C. Maxwell and Bruce Lipton’s commentary on societal change.ABOUT BEYOND THE NOISEHonest conversations about leadership, clearer thinking, and the human experience behind professional success. Hosted by Anastasija Lynch and Khurshid Zaynutdinov.Follow Beyond the Noise for more conversations that help you step back, question assumptions, and move forward with greater intention.

The higher you get, the more lonely you are. Executive coach Lise Bruynooghe on why leaders hide what they really think, and what it costs them.Most leaders can't show doubt at work. They project strength while their team is being restructured, again. Some confide in the wrong person and get burned. And most of us are better at lying to ourselves than we'd like to admit.In this episode of Beyond the Noise, Lise Bruynooghe (Master Certified Coach, ICF, and Chair of the ICF Global Enterprise Board) joins hosts Anastasija and Khurshid Zaynutdinov to talk about what leaders don't say out loud, and where they can finally be honest.In this episode:→ Why constant restructuring is now "business as usual" for most senior leaders→ The loneliness of leadership, and the risk of being vulnerable at work→ What AI can and can't do in coaching→ How we lie to ourselves, and the masks leaders wear→ Why work and personal life can't be coached separately→ Fear that looks like wisdom, and how to act anywayAbout Lise Bruynooghe:Lise is an internationally recognised executive coach working 1:1 with CEOs and senior leaders worldwide. Before coaching, she was an economist, a banker and a change management leader. She coaches from the Swiss mountains and online, often on walks rather than in meeting rooms.🔗 Connect with Lise:Website: https://www.lisebruynooghe.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisebruynooghe/Free coaching skills videos (Substack): https://lisebruynooghe.substack.comChapters:00:45 The Role of Human Connection in Coaching00:45 Introduction to Fantastic Lee and Her Journey04:33 Navigating Uncertainty in Leadership08:12 The Impact of Personal Experiences on Coaching11:45 The Role of Human Connection in Coaching15:40 The Importance of Vulnerability in Leadership19:27 The Power of Body Language in Coaching23:33 Walking as a Tool for Clarity and Insight30:16 Walking Meetings: A New Approach to Leadership30:54 Navigating Market Conflicts in Leadership33:45 Empowering Audacity in Leadership34:39 Integrating Personal and Professional Lives39:52 The Importance of Extended Coaching Sessions43:13 Seeking Support in Volatile Times46:29 Dreaming Big: Coaching in Schools52:14 The Role of Fear in Leadership and CoachingBeyond the Noise is a podcast for leaders navigating relentless change: honest conversations about leadership, uncertainty and the topics people avoid.#Leadership #ExecutiveCoaching #LonelyAtTheTop

Your company says it values trust. Your people are quietly running on fear.Fay Niewiadomski has spent decades working with CEOs, boards and leadership teams. She joins Anastasija and Khurshid to talk honestly about what's happening inside organizations right now: decision fatigue in a world that won't stop moving, values on the wall that nobody lives, why you can't build trust when performance runs on fear, and what AI can never do for you as a leader.About Fay: founder and CEO of ICTN, former dean, award-winning change management strategist, and leadership coach. With around 20 years in academia, four businesses founded, a clinical hypnotherapist, and creator of The Four Journeys of a Leader program.Fay's book — Decisions That Matter: Rethink, Reimagine, Reset Your Lifehttps://tinyurl.com/ytnr7tpb🔗 Connect with FayLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fayniewiadomski/ICTN: https://www.ictn.com/Chapters0:00 Intro0:54 Meet Fay Niewiadomski3:24 The biggest struggle leaders face right now5:44 Why the best leaders stop trying to control everything8:53 It's never one leader10:24 Why your company values mean nothing13:26 The cost of being wrong17:34 Shareholders vs. stakeholders20:48 You can't build trust in a culture of fear23:37 What to do when you're stuck in a fearful culture29:17 The developer who stopped using AI30:29 What AI can't do: judgment and wisdom34:54 Has leaders' communication got worse?37:25 Are you surrendering to AI?41:30 Business emotional intelligence46:11 Who inspires Fay49:17 Competence, courage and compassion50:42 You don't have to be open with everyone all the timeBeyond the Noise — honest conversations for leaders navigating a world that won't slow down. Hosted by Anastasija and Khurshid.Watch the full video episode on YouTube and subscribe for new episodes biweekly.

Everyone sees the beach photos. Nobody sees the 11PM grind that comes with them.Gabe Marusca left a comfortable life in Romania, bought a one-way ticket to Indonesia, and became a digital nomad — nine years and dozens of countries later, he's built a business, a marriage, and a life most people only see the highlight reel of. He gets honest about the fear before the leap, the habits that fell apart once he got there, why most entrepreneurs quit right before it pays off, and the money mindset he had to unlearn.Guest: Gabe Marusca — solopreneur, digital nomad, host of Authority in the WildLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabemarusca/His podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@AuthorityInTheWildHis work: https://www.digitalfinest.com/Beyond the Noise — honest conversations for leaders navigating a world that won't slow down.

Matt Davies spent years climbing the ladder in financial services — private banker, investment advisor, all the qualifications, before realizing at 40 that he wasn't even halfway through his working life, and it wasn't what he wanted.He talks with hosts Anastasija Lynch and Khurshid Zaynutdinov about the drastic (and later regretted) way he left corporate life, the divorce and loss he was navigating at the same time, and how he turned that mess into a coaching practice helping others through the same transition. Using identity work instead of willpower, and community instead of going it alone.A raw, honest conversation for anyone in leadership wondering if they're on the right path.Connect with Matt Davies:🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-davies-precision-coach/🔗 Work with Matt: https://forms.gle/wnXJWFP2HzHjL2ij6More from Beyond the Noise:🔗 https://btnpod.com/Anastasija Lynch: https://anastasijalynch.com/Khurshid Zaynutdinov: https://www.linkedin.com/in/khurshidz/Subscribe for new episodes on leadership, career change, and navigating unprecedented change.

Paralyzed from the neck down at 21, and the first thought that ran through his head wasn't fear — it was gratitude that he still had his mind.Max was snowboarding in Colorado when a fall left him with a C3-C4 spinal contusion. What followed was a recovery built on faith, an almost stubborn refusal to let go of momentum, and a complete rewrite of what he thought mattered. He talks with Anastasija and Khurshid about the accident itself, the mentor who told him "don't let me believe in you more than you believe in you," and why so many of us wait for a crisis before we let ourselves change.Timestamps:0:06 – Welcome + introducing Max0:24 – The accident: paralyzed from the neck down3:20 – What losing control taught him about the control we think we have4:14 – The first thought after the injury: gratitude for his mind8:46 – Khurshid's story: living in the present with a premature son10:12 – Faith before and after the injury — the prayer the rescuers mistook for a head injury15:22 – Getting through the hardest days18:14 – Borrowing belief from the people around you21:43 – His mission: helping people understand adversity27:44 – "Don't let me believe in you more than you believe in you"31:37 – What he used to chase that wasn't worth it37:46 – Why we wait for a crisis before we change41:26 – Separating what's actually important46:03 – His dream: helping people understand their own power52:15 – Closing advice: define your vision, your why, and your anti-whyAbout Max:Max is a snowboarding accident survivor who was paralyzed from the neck down with a C3-C4 spinal contusion and made what he calls a "110%" recovery, going on to run two ultra marathons and complete a half Iron Man. He now works to help people understand adversity, tap into their own potential, and stop waiting for a crisis to make the changes they already know they need to make.Follow Max: https://www.instagram.com/maxwellkrohn/Web: https://maxkrohn.com/More from Beyond the Noise:🌐 https://btnpod.com/📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/btntalks/💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beyond-the-noise-podcast/

You get laid off, and instead of falling apart, you smile, then cry the second no one's watching. Years later you finally quit a job you actually like, and somehow that's scarier than any layoff ever was.Lin Cassie went through multiple rounds of layoffs across two countries, the first as a 20-something in 2008, the last as a design manager in Berlin, before making the strange discovery that walking away on her own terms was harder than being pushed. She and hosts Anastasija and Khurshid dig into what it actually felt like in the room each time, how she traced her own fears back to her parents', and why she thinks the leadership traits that get rewarded right now might be part of the problem.About Lin Cassie:Lin Cassie is a leadership coach and systems consultant who helps leaders and teams navigate the complexity of modern work — from organizational growth and shifting roles to cross-functional collaboration. Her approach starts with cultivating awareness: helping people recognize their habitual patterns and create space to make sense of pressure and uncertainty, so they can respond intentionally rather than react automatically. From there, she expands the focus to the wider organizational system — helping leaders move beyond silos, make better decisions, and build stronger alignment across teams.🔗 Connect with Lin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lin-cassie-zhen-73215113/More from Beyond the Noise:🎥 Full video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/s1e3Vkfjaag🌐 https://btnpod.com/📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/btntalks/💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beyond-the-noise-podcast/

What happens when you've done everything right - built a successful career, achieved your goals, and still find yourself completely burned out?In this episode of Beyond the Noise, we speak with Erika Coleman about the hidden cost of high performance. Erika shares her journey through severe burnout, closing a successful business, rebuilding her life, studying at Harvard, and discovering a healthier definition of success.Together we explore:• Why high performers are especially vulnerable to burnout• The pressure of always doing more• Identity beyond achievement• Sustainable success and leadership• What recovery really looks likeIf you've ever wondered why success doesn't always feel the way you expected, this conversation is for you.—Connect with Erika ColemanWebsite:https://www.erikacolemanspeaks.com/LinkedIn:linkedin.com/in/erika-coleman-1591b435—Connect with the hostsAnastasija LynchWebsite: https://anastasijalynch.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anastasija-lynch-coach/KhurshidLinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/khurshidz/Beyond the NoiseWebsite:https://btnpod.com/

Moving to another country changes far more than your address.In this episode of Beyond the Noise, Anastasija Lynch and Khurshid Zaynutdinov are joined by leadership coach Piotr Tomaszewski for an honest conversation about relocating with a family, navigating uncertainty, balancing career opportunities, raising children across cultures, letting go of control, and why some of life's biggest decisions don't have to be permanent.Along the way, the conversation becomes about much more than relocation. It's about uncertainty, expectations, family, courage, and what it really means to start over.Whether you're considering moving abroad, facing a major career decision, or simply wondering if there's another path available to you, this conversation offers thoughtful perspectives from people who have lived it.Piotr TomaszewskiLeadership Coach & Mentor🌐 https://ptomaszewski.com💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/pptomaszewski/Follow Beyond the Noise🌐 https://btnpod.com/💼 LinkedIn

What happens when leadership becomes more demanding, more uncertain, and more isolating?In this episode of Beyond The Noise, we sit down with Bo Balachsan, founder of Leadership Club, a leadership coach, and a product leader, to explore the realities many leaders experience but rarely discuss openly.As responsibility grows, so does pressure. Decisions become higher stakes, expectations increase, and many leaders find themselves carrying more while feeling less supported.We discuss:• Why leadership often becomes isolating• The hidden pressure of decision-making• Why are many leaders promoted without being properly prepared• AI, uncertainty, and the changing nature of work• Emotional intelligence in modern leadership• The value of community, reflection, and peer support• What becoming a parent taught Bo about leading othersThis conversation is for founders, executives, managers, and professionals navigating increasing responsibility in a rapidly changing world.Connect with Bo on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/borderlessbo/Leadership Club: https://www.leadershift.club/Leadership Club LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/leadershift-club/Connect with the hostsAnastasija Lynch: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anastasija-lynch-coach/Khurshid Zaynutdinov: https://www.linkedin.com/in/khurshidz/If you enjoyed this episode, follow Beyond The Noise and share it with someone who might benefit from the conversation.