Bold Leadership

Zana Goic Petricevic pivoted from a successful corporate career to find her true calling – coaching bold leadership. Zana’s career change came about after being fired from a corporate director role for being “blunt” with the chairman, which she reframed as a necessary catalyst for her true calling. Now, a successful coach, she has developed the “SOUL” Framework: Zana’s leadership model focuses on four “playgrounds”: Self (inner beliefs), Others (relationships), Universe (system/culture), and Legacy (lasting impact).

A key coaching goal is helping leaders shift from a victim mindset (“this is happening to me”) to one of agency (“I have a choice”), seeing change as an opportunity, not a threat. And she subscribes to the “Fake It ‘Til You Become It” method.  Zana advocates for taking risks before feeling 100% ready, citing her own experience of accepting a keynote speech before ever having delivered one.

Summary of Podcast

The Catalyst: A Corporate Exit

• Zana’s career in oil and gas ended abruptly when she was fired from her Corporate Communications Director role for being “blunt” with the chairman.
• This unplanned exit caused a significant identity crisis, as her professional role was central to her sense of self.
• A key realisation came when applying for lower-level jobs and being told she was overqualified, confirming that her corporate path was permanently closed.
• Reframing: Zana views this event as a “planting” rather than a “burying”—a necessary end that enabled a new beginning.

The Pivot: From Corporate to Coaching

• The turning point was a 2016 co-active coaching course in London, which introduced her to a new type of conversation where she felt “seen, heard, and able to express myself.”
• This experience revealed her passion → bringing these authentic conversations into organizations.
• To make this “fluffy” concept palatable to the corporate world, she supplemented her training with psychometric tests and other data-driven tools.
• Business Launch: With nothing to lose, Zana embraced networking and relationship-building—skills she had previously avoided—to secure her first clients.

The “SOUL” Framework for Bold Leadership

• Zana’s coaching framework guides leaders through four interconnected “playgrounds”:
  • S – Self: Understanding one’s inner world (beliefs, values, patterns).
  • O – Others: Building effective relationships through honest, kind communication.
  • U – Universe: Navigating and shaping the organizational system and culture.
  • L – Legacy: Defining one’s lasting impact (“What stays when you go?”).
• Legacy Defined: Legacy is not just measurable results but also the intangible impact on people and culture.
  • Analogy: “Leaders bring the weather,” creating either sunshine or storm. This “weather” is their legacy.

Mindset & The Future of Leadership

• Core Coaching Goal: Help leaders shift from a victim mindset to one of agency, seeing change as an opportunity rather than a threat.
• “Fake It ‘Til You Become It”: Zana advocates for taking risks before feeling 100% ready, citing her own experience of accepting a keynote speech before ever having delivered one.
• AI & Technology: Zana sees AI as a tool that forces conscious choice, helping leaders define what they want to keep agency over and what to delegate.

Clips from the Podcast

Past Life

 

Corporate Escape

 

New Passion 

 

Not a Victim

 

Leaders Bring the Weather

 

Testimonial

 

The Next 100 Days Podcast Co-Hosts

Graham Arrowsmith

Graham founded Finely Fettled in 2014 to provide data from The UK High Net Worth Database to marketers targeting affluent and high-net-worth customers.  He’s the founder of MicroYES, a Partner for MeclabsAI, creating lead generation AI Agents & Workflows and introducing the MeclabsAI Platform. Graham also provides an Answer Engine Optimisation solution to get your website in shape to be found by LLMs.

Kevin Appleby

Kevin specialises in finance transformation and implementing business change. He’s the COO of GrowCFO, which provides both community and CPD-accredited training designed to grow the next generation of finance leaders. You can find Kevin on LinkedIn and at kevinappleby.com