Key Lessons from Coaching Professionals Across 20+ Countries in 2025
What this year showed me
In 2025, I coached professionals from 20 different countries, spanning industries from tech and consulting to leadership, entrepreneurship and major career transitions.
On the surface, their situations looked very different. Different cultures. Different markets. Different career stages.
But as the conversations unfolded, the patterns became strikingly similar.
What they struggled with most
Across geographies and roles, the same challenges kept appearing:
Lack of clarity on how to position themselves in the market
Discomfort or avoidance around networking
Feeling stuck or unmotivated in their current role
Uncertainty around career change, relocation or next steps
Stepping into senior roles without confidence in communication or leadership presence
Real struggles and how we overcame them
1. When networking felt uncomfortable or forced
A senior executive in Dubai avoided networking because it felt awkward and salesy. We stopped treating networking as “selling yourself.”
Instead, we built a clear list (people, companies, follow-ups) and focused on online events and intentional LinkedIn conversations.
Approach: Small, consistent actions replaced avoidance.
2. When personal branding was unclear
An entrepreneur in London, formerly VP of Sales, was preparing to launch an agency but didn’t know how to position himself as a founder.
We worked directly on personal branding: defining his expertise, narrowing focus and deciding how and where to show up as a founder.
Approach: LinkedIn profiles, messaging, and content were aligned to reflect founder-level expertise and market direction, not just previous roles.
3. When someone started a new role
A new hire at a tech company in Berlin felt overwhelmed by expectations and unclear priorities.
Approach: We didn’t “wait and see.” We created a 90-day onboarding plan: key stakeholders, quick wins, visibility goals and clear communication.
4. When stepping into senior or leadership roles
A senior professional in the states stepped into a new leadership role and needed to move from a comforting communication style to a more direct, confident presence.
Approach: We adjusted communication style: more direct language, clearer expectations, and stronger presence, without losing authenticity.
Common patterns:
Across all these stories, I kept hearing the same thoughts:
“I know what I can do but I don’t know how to communicate it.”
“I’m functioning but I’m not fulfilled.”
“I don’t know how transferable my experience really is.”
“My role changed but my behaviour didn’t catch up yet.”
A Reflection as We Close 2025
The biggest lesson from this year is simple: Career growth doesn’t come from doing more.
As we move toward 2026, the most important questions aren’t: What should I add?
But rather: What should I keep? What should I release? What am I ready to grow into?
#careerdevelopment #clarity #leadership #potential #growth #ilianatzanaki