In Conversation with Entrepreneur Zana Goic Petricevic on ‘Bold Reinvented’

Zana brings to her work a blend of more than 15 years of experience as a corporate manager, entrepreneur, executive leadership coach, leadership development consultant, coaching trainer and mentor with a great passion for writing, teaching and public speaking.

Regardless of the methodology or programme she uses in her current roles, the transformative power of bigger and bolder conversations always remains central to her work with clients across the globe in EU, UK, USA and Asia-Pacific region and including industries as diverse as finance, banking, pharmaceutical, education, professional services, energy, telecommunications, FMCG and IT.

She is a Certified Professional Co-Active coach, Co-Active leadership graduate, Organisation and Relationship Systems Certified coach and Leadership Circle certified practitioner. She holds a bachelor’s degree in languages, a master’s degree in Economics from the University of Zagreb (Croatia), and an MA in International Business Administration from Leeds Beckett University, UK.

Her former corporate positions in the region include corporate communications director in oil & gas industry and marketing and sales director in pharmaceutical industry.

Some of her current formal roles are: founder of Bold Leadership Culture, a company offering leadership development solutions; The Leadership Circle Europe certification coach and the Ambassador for the Balkans; trainer of PwC’s Academies in CEE for ICF accredited Business Coaching Diploma where she trains and mentors new coaches believing that coaching is the new language of modern leadership.

She is the author of a book called Bold Reinvented: Next Level Leading with Courage, Consciousness and Conviction.

Zana lives in Zagreb, Croatia and works internationally as a leadership coach, consultant and speaker.

We had a chance to catch up with Zana for an exclusive interview. This is what she shared up with us.

Your latest book ‘Bold Reinvented’ touches upon many aspects of being a leader. One of those topics is risk. Why do you consider risk as one of the key aspects of being a leader?

Because without risk there is no leadership. Who will follow you if you’re not going anywhere, staying safely in the place you already know? When risk is involved, our leadership is needed, and we get to choose if we’re going to be bold enough to take it on or if we will let fear take over. Our leadership work is to grow our confidence and capacity to work with fear to take on the risks that life brings. There is no leadership without vision, and no vision without fear. Whatever truly matters to us comes at a certain risk of losing something that keeps us feeling safe. Taking the risk to face that fear of losing safety is what we as leaders need to do a million times a day.

As a high-profile leadership coach and consultant, what would you say is the biggest challenge that every entrepreneur faces and what is one key technique that others can apply to overcome those challenges?

I think one of the top challenges leaders face is themselves. Both in business and in life, we are often our biggest obstacle in the room. That is why my SOUL leadership framework begins with self. If we don’t do the work to discover our blindspots and understand our impact (whether it be intentional or not), we miss out on utilizing our full leadership potential.

You are a certified Professional Co-Active coach, Co-Active leadership graduate, Organization and Relationship Systems Certified coach, and Leadership Circle® certified practitioner, so the question is how you manage business life with personal life.

That’s a great question! I think the expectation is that we become perfect at balancing our personal and professional life, and what I’ve come to realize is that there is no ideal scenario. Leaders learn to be flexible and create from what is happening in the moment, instead of trying to fight their way into set rules and schedules. I always make sure to block time for myself in my calendar instead of leaving it for “after all my work is done” because my work is never actually done, which I guess happens when you’re passionate about what you do. Life-work balance is a dance we play to the best of our intentions.

What inspires Zana Goic Petricevic?

I’m inspired by people who see the bigger picture of leadership, outside of financial success and personal accomplishment. Leaders as change makers, who tune into their environment to find out what’s needed both in their world and in the world as a whole. Leaders who are able to get over themselves to serve the world. It’s these leaders who change society and the way we live collectively. Sometimes I find them among my colleagues, mentors, friends or family, sometimes outside of my private circles. I usually recognise them by the way they act with kindness and boldness.

Now that the book is published and your business is flourishing, what is next for you as an author and business owner?

Our work is never done when we think about the legacy that we want to leave behind. I am so excited about my first book and already thinking about the next leadership work I want to create. Speaking and meeting with leaders from all walks of life is also very important to me. Books are amazing learning and reflection tools, but there’s nothing like connecting with real human beings in a room and having a conversation that can transform the way our minds work.