Career, Business & Executive Coach | Mindset & Mental Fitness Coach | DISC® Certified | Mentor

On paper, things are going well.
Day to day, it feels harder.

Revenue is coming in.
The team is bigger than it used to be. 
The business is clearly working.

But decisions feel heavier. 
Everything still lands on you. And it is harder to stay out of the weeds.

You have the same job title. Founder. Business owner. CEO.
But the job itself has quietly changed.

What used to work does not work in the same way anymore.

• operations are more complex 
• people issues take up more space 
• decisions are more interconnected

So you keep jumping in and sorting things out the way you always have.
It takes more time. More energy. More of you than it used to.

At the same time, the business is no longer a small startup. 
And it now needs something different from you.

This is a phase many founders hit as the business grows.

It shows up when the pace and complexity of the business change faster than the way leadership is structured day to day.

I have seen this pattern repeatedly across my career. 
In startups. In large organisations. And in my own business.

Each time the team grew, the role changed, even when the title stayed the same.

That transition is where my work focuses:

- how you think and make decisions under pressure
- where ownership and accountability sit in the team
- what actually deserves your time and attention now

Every business at this stage looks different.

The team, the context, the pressures, and the founder’s role are never the same.

That’s why this work is always one to one. 
No cohorts, templates, or fixed programmes.

We work on what is actually happening in your business, and what leadership needs to look like at this stage.

Outcomes my clients experience include:

• simplified operations and clearer priorities 
• avoided or corrected costly team decisions 
• fewer decisions landing back with the founder 
• stronger ownership and accountability in the team 
• stepping out of firefighting and regaining thinking time 
• highly reduced stress at work and at home

Clients often tell me I make complex situations feel simpler and create the space they need to think clearly and make decisions they trust.

My background:

-	30 plus years in leadership roles 
-	Experience across startups and large organisations 
-	Responsibility for people, HR, operations, and sales 

> CIPD in HR Management
> Certified, ICF accredited coach
> Performance & Neuroscience Coaching
> Positive Intelligence Coaching & DISC

☎️ If you are ready to regain control of your business, you can send me a DM or book a 30-minute consultation via the link in my profile.

Monica Federico, Assoc. CIPD

We admire leaders for speaking up.

But staying quiet and listening is harder.

I’ve seen it myself in the toughest moments:

→ A boss gives you feedback that really stings
→ Your team tells you things aren’t working
→ Someone shares their personal struggles

Your brain races.
You want to explain.
You want to defend.
You want to fix it.

But the real challenge is sitting there, resisting the urge to react.

Because when someone opens up, they don’t need our quick answer.
They need proof we actually heard them.

I used to be rather useless at this.

My younger self always had to jump in with a solution, advice, something.

Now I know: trust isn’t built by having all the answers.

It’s built in the quiet, when you let others have the space for theirs.

So, what takes more courage for you - speaking up or shutting up? ☺️
--------------------

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Monica Federico

Helping founders regain control as their business grows and leadership becomes more demanding | Performance Coaching | ICF Accredited Neuroscience Coach

Meetings aren’t work. They’re what stops work.

Cut one every week and gain your brain back.

Too many meetings are the fast way to lose clarity, time, and energy.
Yours and everyone else’s.

If you feel that since the holidays you've done more meetings than work - this is for you.

Before you send that next invite, ask:

1. Is real-time discussion actually needed?
2. Are we making decisions - today?
3. Will live input genuinely help?
4. Are the right people in the room - or just everyone?
5. Could this be handled in writing instead?

And then the real question:
Would you want to sit through it?

If not - cancel it. 
No drama, just a better use of time.

✅ Less noise
✅ More clarity
✅ Better use of everyone’s time

Instead of another hour-long meeting, you could be:

➤ Thinking through a tricky decision properly
➤ Following up one-to-one where it matters
➤ Giving quality feedback that actually helps
➤ Reviewing priorities or simplifying the plan
➤ Taking ten minutes to reset and refocus

That is better leadership ROI.

--------------
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When growth creates chaos, I help founders take control again | Leadership & performance coaching for founders, CEOs & business owners | Neuroscience-informed

You're probably giving too much feedback.

And it's hurting your team.

Bad feedback damages more than silence ever could.

I see it everywhere. 
Leaders who feel obligated to comment on everything.
Who mistake volume for value.

The result?
Teams that second-guess themselves.
People who stop taking risks.

Before you give feedback, run it through this 
3-question test:

1. Is this about them or about me?
If you're frustrated or need to vent... that's not feedback. That's management therapy.

2. Can they actually act on this?
Feedback without a path forward is just criticism wearing a suit.

3. Will this help them win?
If it doesn't make them better at what actually matters, keep it to yourself.

Most feedback fails question 1.
Some feedback fails question 2.
The best feedback passes all 3.

Your job isn't to have an opinion about everything.

It's to develop people who don't need your opinion about everything.

--------------
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You’re being too patient with new hires.

The warning signs show up in week one.

If not, certainly within the first 30 days.
But many leaders ignore them for months.

The problem isn’t that you can’t see them.
It’s that you tell yourself they need more time.

I’ve seen this play out dozens of times with founders and executives I coach.
The red flags are always there early.
We just don’t want to believe we got it wrong.

I got it wrong too at first,
until I learnt what to watch out for.

The slides break down 5 specific behaviours that predict a bad hire, all observable in the first 30 days.

These aren’t personality quirks or adjustment periods.

They’re patterns that get more expensive the longer you ignore them.

Trust what you see at the start.

📌 Save for your next new hire
--------------
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5 Red Flags of a Bad Hire

Most “employee recognition” fails because it’s performative.

Real recognition looks quieter than people expect.
It shows up in timing.
In credit.
In listening.
In backing people when it’s inconvenient.

None of this is hard.
It’s just easy to forget when things get busy.

Monday reminder for leaders:

it doesn’t need to be grand.
It just needs to be genuine.

----------------------------
♻️ Repost to help create emotionally intelligent workplaces
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Monday shouldn’t feel like damage control.

Yet most people lose 8+ hours a week without noticing.

Not to big projects.
To meetings, pings, “quick questions”, and context switching.

This isn’t a motivation problem.
It’s a boundaries problem.

The cheat sheet breaks down 12 small rules that quietly give you your time back.

Nothing extreme.
Nothing unrealistic.
Just decisions most people avoid making.

A few that matter more than people admit:

• 30-minute meetings beat 60 every time
• “Always available” kills deep work
• Checking messages all day is productivity theatre
• Saying no is a career skill, not an attitude problem

You don’t need better hacks.
You need clearer defaults.

📌 Save this.
Pick one boundary.
Apply it this week.

—

Hi, Monica here 👋🏼
I coach founders and CEOs to lead more effectively
and build high-performing teams.

♻️ Repost & help others in your network
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Most hiring mistakes happen before the interview even starts.

Not during the interview.
Not because someone “fooled” you.

But because you never defined what good actually looks like.

You’re asking questions.
But you haven’t defined what you’re listening for.

I worked with a client who kept hiring “the wrong people.”

When I asked to see their interview prep, they had nothing.

No clear job spec.
No definition of success.
No clarity on what the team actually needed.

They weren’t hiring bad people.

They were hiring the best interviewers,
not the right people for the role or the team.

Here’s a quick cheat sheet for what to do before you interview anyone 👇🏼
(see image)

Two more things too many leaders skip:

1. Define what your team actually needs

Look at your existing team.

What’s missing?

Do you need:
• Someone task-oriented or people-oriented?
• A challenger or a consensus-builder?
• A strategic thinker or a strong executor?

There’s no “better” profile - only better fit.

2. Ask yourself: does this even matter?

Leaders often project preferences that don’t affect performance.

• Extroverted vs introverted rarely matters unless the role truly requires it
• Style ≠ substance
• Comfort ≠ competence

Don’t confuse personal preference with job requirements.

If you don’t define success upfront, interviews become storytelling contests - and the best storyteller usually wins.

Not the best hire for you.

--------------
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Most people don’t struggle with motivation.
They struggle with direction.

You wake up Monday already tired.
Inbox full. Calendar packed.
Busy… but oddly behind.

That’s the problem.

When everything feels important, nothing actually moves.

The problem isn’t effort.
It’s where that effort goes.

It’s spending your best energy on the wrong things, in the wrong order, at the wrong time.

And over time, that compounds into frustration, stress, and the quiet feeling that you should be further ahead by now.

The fix isn’t a new productivity app.
It’s a better operating system.

Over the years, I’ve come back to the same fundamentals again and again - the principles that cut through noise and create real momentum.

That’s what this visual breaks down 👇

Not hacks.
Not hustle.
Just timeless rules for getting meaningful work done, consistently.

Save it.
Revisit it when things feel chaotic.

And if Monday feels heavy today, start with just one principle and ignore the rest.

Progress loves simplicity.
--------------
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Coach for Founders, CEOs & Business Owners → Clarity under pressure | Better decisions | Teams that deliver | Grow your business without overwhelm | Neuroscience-informed leadership & performance coaching

Your stress is more contagious than any virus. 

Here's the neuroscience:

When you're stressed, your brain releases cortisol. 

And everyone around you starts producing cortisol too - just from observing you.

"Your team is a reflection of you" - the first advice I got as a new manager. 

Turns out it's not just wisdom. 
It's neuroscience.

We automatically mimic and ‘catch’ each other’s feelings.

That age-old advice to "look in the mirror when your team struggles" is biologically accurate.

Your tense shoulders in the meeting 
↳ Team's fight-or-flight activated

Your frustrated sigh 
↳ Creativity drops 

Your anxious energy 
↳ Mistakes multiply

Which means your stress doesn't stay with you.
It multiplies.
It spreads.
It becomes your culture.

Here's what all leaders must learn:

Before expressing any emotion, ask:

→ Will this ripple calm or disturb?
→ Will my team carry this home tonight?
→ Is this the culture I'm creating?

The good news is that we humans co-regulate. 
And calm is equally contagious.

Your composed presence can lower your team's cortisol in minutes.

So here is my invitation to you if you are having problems with your team:
 
Look in the mirror.
They're reflecting exactly what you're projecting.

Your emotions aren’t private. They’re culture.
----------------------------
♻️ Repost to help create emotionally intelligent workplaces
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One of the most common leadership mistakes I see
is confusing demanding with toxic.

They’re not the same.

Demanding means high standards, clear expectations, and real support.

Toxic means unreasonable demands without support.

The difference shows up in the details.

🎯 A demanding workplace defines what success looks like.
❌ A toxic one keeps changing the rules.

🎯 Demanding gives feedback you can use.
❌ Toxic gives criticism with no path forward.

🎯 In demanding teams, failure is data.
❌ In toxic ones, mistakes are stored and used against you.

🎯 Demanding workplaces have clear, consistent standards.
❌ Toxic ones change standards based on mood or power.

🎯 A demanding boss pushes you to grow.
❌ A toxic boss pushes you down.

Here’s what I’ve noticed from working with leadership teams:

People who’ve only worked in toxic environments
often mistake any challenge for toxicity.

And people who’ve only worked in highly demanding environments sometimes tolerate real toxicity,
thinking it’s just “high standards.”

Both miss the real difference.

One builds you up while pushing you forward.
The other slowly wears you down.

If you’re a leader, know which one you’re creating.
If you’re navigating one, know which one you’re in.

The difference determines whether people grow
or break.

—

Monica here ✍🏼
I coach founders and CEOs to lead more effectively
and build high-performing teams.

🔔 Follow me, Monica Federico for more like this.

In the US, 55% say they’ve been bullied at work.
25% of UK employees report conflict or abuse each year. 

And still, we treat kindness like a bonus rather than the baseline.

In my experience:

 👉🏼 People often don’t realise how bad things were until they’ve left.

👉🏼 The damage isn’t always obvious. It’s the slow grind of tension, silencing, or being sidelined.

👉🏼 Repair doesn’t come from grand gestures. It comes from how we behave day to day.

Here’s a simple breakdown of what kindness at work can look like:

K - Keep people in the loop
I - Invite every voice in the room
N - Name what’s being done well
D - De-escalate conflict with care
N - Normalise learning from mistakes
E - Empathy through daily actions
S - Speak always with care
S - Support each other

Small things that make teams safer, stronger, and more respectful.

Here is to a kinder Friday!
------------------
📚 Sources:
CIPD Good Work Index (UK, 2024)
Workplace Peace Institute Report (US, 2024)
------------------
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82% of companies can't recruit top talent.

Of those, only 7% can keep them.
(Source: McKinsey)

I was that kind employee - fiercely independent, pushing back, questioning processes, booking my boss's diary in advance.

I am not blowing my own trumpet. 😅 
Actually some bosses didn't like that.

Some loved it though.
And I worked really hard for those who did.

I've also hired and managed many other high performers.

Their traits can feel challenging or difficult for the untrained, but they're exactly what all teams need.

And when you know how to lead them, they're gold dust.

Here's how to spot them and what to do about it:

1. They expect a future, not just a role.
2. They push back on decisions that feel off.
3. They won't tolerate dysfunctional team dynamics.
4. They admit mistakes without spin.
5. They want meaningful, challenging work.
6. They run projects outside their job description.
7. They move before they feel "ready."
8. They resist being micromanaged.
9. They protect their time like a resource.
10. They question rules that don't make sense.
11. They make fast calls - and own the outcome
12. They're constantly learning beyond the job.

The leaders who get this right don't just retain this kind of talent - they multiply it.
----------------------------
🔔 Follow Monica Federico for performance & leadership insights

12 Signs of a High Performer

A business owner came to me with a sales team that hadn’t hit target in 8 months.

On the surface, it looked like a sales problem.

 • Reps blamed marketing for bad leads.
 • Marketing blamed sales for poor follow-up.
 • Weekly meetings ran for 90 minutes.
 • Nothing changed.

Performance was inconsistent.
One rep was at 180% of quota.
Three others were stuck around 40%.

At second glance, it looked like a skills gap.

It wasn’t that either.

Once we started working together, the real issue became clear.

The founder had trained everyone to sell the way they sold.
Strong individually. Competitive. Self-reliant.

What they hadn’t built was a sales team.
They had built individuals sharing a target.

So part of my work wasn’t sales coaching.
↳ It was leadership coaching.

Specifically, helping the founder stop leading individuals
and start designing a system the team could operate inside.

Over the first 30 days, we made three changes.

1️⃣ We removed blame from the culture.

We introduced one rule.
If you raise a problem, you bring a solution.

Sales and marketing leads started meeting weekly.
Not to defend themselves.
To fix issues together.

2️⃣ We made performance visible.

A shared dashboard showed everyone’s numbers.
No hiding behind averages.
No territory excuses.

Transparency created accountability
without micromanagement.

3️⃣ We changed how the team met.

The 90-minute complaint session became a 20-minute review.
Each rep shared one win.
And one challenge they had already overcome.

People started learning from each other.
Instead of competing.

The shift was immediate.

 • Reps asked each other for advice.
 • They shared techniques that worked.
 • They jumped on calls to help close deals.

After 90 days:

 • 4 out of 6 reps hit or exceeded target.
 • The team close rate moved from 23% to 52%.
 • One underperformer left and was not replaced.

But the biggest change wasn’t on the dashboard.

The founder stopped trying to be the best salesperson in the room.

And started being the leader who made everyone else better.

The lesson was simple.👇🏼

You don’t scale performance by training people harder.

You scale it by designing better systems and leading differently.

If this sounds familiar, that’s usually the signal.

DM me “team” and I’ll tell you whether this is something I can help with.

-----------
✍🏼 I'm Monica,
I work with founders, CEOs & owners on leading more effectively and building high performing teams.

🔔 Follow me, Monica Federico for more like this.

People don’t quit jobs.
They quit leadership that takes them for granted.

They quit because of every moment they felt invisible.

And if you’ve ever lost a great employee and thought:
“I didn’t see it coming”...

❌ Maybe you weren’t looking close enough.
❌ Maybe you didn’t hear them when they spoke up.
❌ Maybe you didn’t speak up for them when it mattered.

It may sound harsh but I have made a couple of these mistakes myself in my early days. 

The only way not to repeat them was to admit I did. 

Below are the 10 most common leadership mistakes👇🏼

Easily done when we get distracted.
Because things are moving fast.
And the pressure on leaders is real.

But don’t lose sight of what matters.

✅ Show up for them.
✅ Reward fairly.
✅ Have their back.

That’s what keeps your best people.

---------------
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I used to believe running at 100% capacity was the only way to build something meaningful.

Every weekend at the laptop. 
Every holiday interrupted by "urgent" emails. 
Every dinner conversation cut short because my mind was still solving problems from the office.

The startup world reinforces this.

We wear exhaustion like a badge of honor and judge commitment by how consumed we are by our work.

But here's what I've learned: operating at maximum capacity isn't sustainable - it's a setup for failure.

When you're already maxed out and your top performer gets sick, or a key client has an emergency, or market conditions shift overnight, you have no reserves left. You break.

I now intentionally operate at 85-90% capacity. 
That 10-15% buffer isn't wasted space - it's strategic reserve for when a small crisis hits.

And this connects to a bigger question: how do we actually measure success?

We've been conditioned to focus on job titles and salary figures. 

But real, sustainable success includes strong relationships, good health, work you genuinely love, financial stability, and time to actually enjoy what you've built.

The founders who last aren't the ones who burn brightest - they're the ones who burn steadiest.

If this resonates, give it a repost. 
Maybe it's time we started building businesses that enhance our lives instead of consuming them.
----------------------------
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Most bad decisions aren’t made because people lack frameworks.

They’re made because something else is quietly shaping the choice.

If a decision still feels heavy, uncertain, or harder than it should…
the framework probably isn’t the problem.

It’s usually:

• The people & environments you’re surrounded by
• The pressure you’re operating under
• Your identity, past wins, and past mistakes
• The unspoken rules you’ve absorbed without noticing

None of these are personal flaws.
They’re subconscious influences.

Sometimes the most useful step isn’t another model or tool.

It’s pausing long enough to ask:
What’s already shaping how I’m seeing this?

That pause alone can change the decision.
----------------------------
Hi, Monica here 👋🏼
I coach founders and CEOs to lead more effectively
and build high-performing teams.

♻️ Repost & help others in your network
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5 Invisible Forces Shaping Your Business Decisions

Your team dysfunction isn't obvious.

It's the small patterns that compound into big problems.

I see this with many founder I coach.

They know the team isn't hitting their potential.
But they can't pinpoint what's breaking down.

The dysfunction hides in plain sight.

And by the time you notice, it's already costing you talent, momentum, and deals.

These patterns have predictable fixes.

Swipe through for the 7 I see repeatedly 
(and exactly how to address each one)

📌 Save for your next team review
♻️ Repost & help others in your network
—

Hi, Monica here ✍🏼
I coach founders and CEOs to lead more effectively
and build high-performing teams.

🔔 Follow me Monica Federico for more like this.

7 Costly Team Dysfunctions & How to Fix Them

Low team engagement will quietly erase 23% of your profits.
(Source: Gallup)

Happy teams are not a nice-to-have.
They are the foundation of your brand.

If they feel overlooked, your customers will feel it too.

- Engagement drops.
- Service suffers.
- Turnover rises.

And no amount of strategy or AI can cover that up.

How to fix that:

1️⃣ Build recognition into your team rituals
2️⃣ Treat feedback like a product cycle
3️⃣ Tie development to real business outcomes
4️⃣ Be flexible with structure, not standards
5️⃣ Show culture through consistent leadership behaviour

When your team feels valued, they create value.

For each other.
For your customers.
And for your bottom line.

----------------------------
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Most think emotional intelligence is just "being nice."
But the 1% have mastered something entirely different.

I've worked with hundreds of leaders, and there's one thing that separates the truly exceptional from everyone else.

It's not their technical skills or industry knowledge.

It's their ability to navigate emotions, their own and others', with precision and restraint.

The leaders who rise fastest aren't just smart.
They're emotionally intelligent.

Here’s the part most people miss:

Emotionally intelligent leaders don’t feel less.
They manage better.

 • They pause instead of reacting.
 • They stay steady when others spiral.
 • They don’t need to win the room to lead it.

The graphic breaks this down into 4 areas I see repeatedly in top performers:

 • Self-regulation under pressure
 • Reading people accurately
 • Calm, direct communication
 • Influence without force

If you’re scanning this thinking “some of this is uncomfortable”
that’s usually the signal.

These aren’t personality traits.
They’re learnable behaviours.

And the fastest gains come from fixing just one.

 💾 Save this.
Come back to it the next time you’re triggered.

That moment is where leadership actually shows.

---------------
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Jon Cox

Business Owner

I’m absolutely passionate about helping people, problem solving, and bringing game changing “Big Company Thinking to SME and Micro Companies ™.”

What I Do? Coaching and Mentoring
I offer tailored Coaching and Mentoring services to unlock you and your businesses full potential. While we often blend the two, each serves a unique purpose. If you’re curious about the difference check out this blog https://tinyurl.com/2ukvjufy

My Approach? Solving Problems and Fuelling Progress
Whether you're ready to take your business to the next level or are facing a career roadblock, I’ll help you find the path forward via...
•	Coaching: I’ll help you break through stalling points, guiding you to move forward with clarity, confidence, and actionable steps. 

•	Mentoring: Backed by 22+ years of Board-level insight I offer fresh perspectives, innovative strategies, and practical tools to help you leave your competition behind.

Who Do I Work With? You!
If you’re a business owner, board level executive or senior manager and you want an unfair advantage, let’s talk.

How I work? Efficient and Engaging
Expect a straightforward, fast-paced, and effective style. I tailor the process to your pace and it’s always practical, energetic, and aimed at moving you from problem to progress, with a bit of humour along the way.

Why Choose Me?
I bring 21+ years of Board-level experience, trained by companies like BP, Honeywell, Schneider, Masco, and I’ve worked with many more.
I’ve collected industry recognised skills such as Six Sigma, Kaizen, Lean, Lane 4, and won many awards including Times Top 100 Management 3 years running.

So you’re getting proven and award-winning insights, support and tools at an hourly rate.

Next Steps… 
Book a free exploratory call today.  You can DM me here or email UpFront@email.com
To learn more about my 3-stage onboarding process visit: https://tinyurl.com/4uxfvhbz

Not Ready Yet?
No problem, let’s go at your pace, why not browse my website for more free blogs, insights and tools https://upfrontcoachingandmentoring.com or keep lurking on LinkedIn until you're ready.

I help enhance my client’s leadership or management performance and development. Through a process of inquiry, dialogue and proven tools we develop decision-making, experiment with new ways of thinking and commit to action steps that help achieve you or your companies' goals.

With a proven track record of both Coaching and Mentoring senior managers and board level executives you’re in safe hands. 

I believe in building genuine trust and understanding with anyone that I work with and am passionate about helping people and businesses grow and develop to their fullest potential.

Helping ‘unstick’ stuck companies and individuals has been the highlight of my career to date. It's also an absolute pleasure to meet and help new people every day, I love what I do and hope that you will too.

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