Paulina is a World Class Leadership Coach for CEOs who excels at igniting iconic presence and personal power in top-tier leaders. She is also an International Speaker and Author. For over 15 years, she held senior roles in Global Corporations serving Fortune 100 companies. This experience coupled with her MBA for Executives allows her to bring the business conversations with her clients to the next level. She is focused on improving the culture of organisations, starting with the top. She holds multiple International certifications and has been trained by the best teachers and coaches in the world. Her mission is to change the world, one leader at a time.
Paulina Stankiewicz, Leadership Coach for CEOs
Introduce yourself! Please tell us about you and your life, so we can get to know you better.
My name is Paulina Anna Stankiewicz, and I am a World-Class Leadership Coach and Mentor for CEOs. I work with bold, ambitious leaders who want to step into their personal power, ignite an iconic presence, and scale their businesses while leaving a lasting legacy.
I’m proud to also be an International Speaker and Best-Selling Author of the book Wake Up – Do The Work – Save Humanity.
I was born in Poland during a time when diversity and opportunities were scarce. Growing up under a communist regime taught me resilience and ignited a passion for creating opportunities and breaking barriers. It also instilled in me a deep appreciation for cultural diversity, a value that continues to influence my life and work today.
In my personal life, I’m a dog lover who unexpectedly became a cat mom when I moved to Amsterdam 10 years ago. I’m also a non-smoker, a flexitarian, and someone who values continuous learning, whether through books, experiences, or the incredible clients I get to work with.
In my free time, I love traveling, diving into personal growth books, and creating meaningful connections with people from all walks of life. Fun fact: I used to be a huge basketball fan and have cherished the dream of seeing Michael Jordan play live, a dream I made happen in my 20s when I traveled to the U.S.
My journey has been anything but conventional, but each step has brought me closer to my mission: helping leaders transform their mindset, achieve their dreams, and influence the world positively.
Can you share a specific success story where your coaching had a transformative impact on a CEO's leadership style and the overall culture of their organization?
Absolutely. One story that stands out is about a CEO I worked with, let’s call him Will, who had built an incredibly successful business but hadn’t taken a vacation in over four years. He was deeply committed to his team but felt the weight of every decision, leaving him overwhelmed and unable to delegate effectively.
Through our work together, we identified his limiting beliefs around responsibility and control, and we reconnected him with his vision and values as a leader. By creating space for his intuition and empowering him to trust his team, he not only took his first vacation in years but also inspired a culture of trust and balance across his organization. His decision to prioritize rest and delegation became a model for his employees, boosting morale and productivity across the board.
Given your background in senior roles within global corporations, how does your firsthand experience contribute to your approach in coaching CEOs to enhance their leadership skills?
Having spent over 15 years in senior roles at Fortune 100 companies, I’ve walked in the shoes of my clients. I’ve led high-performing teams, managed global Program Management Offices, and navigated complex, high-pressure environments. This real-world experience allows me to deeply understand the challenges CEOs face, from managing global teams to making critical decisions under pressure.
I combine this corporate experience with my coaching expertise, bridging strategy and leadership development. My MBA for Executives also allows me to approach conversations with sharp business acumen. CEOs value that I understand both the metrics of success and the human dynamics behind them. I bring empathy, intuition, and a results-driven approach to help my clients elevate their leadership to the next level.
In your view, what are the key challenges that CEOs commonly face in today's business landscape, and how do you address these challenges through your coaching methodology?
Today’s CEOs face a perfect storm of challenges: rapid technological change, economic uncertainty, and the growing demand for purpose-driven leadership. On top of this, many CEOs feel isolated, constantly balancing the pressure to perform with the need to inspire and lead.
Through my coaching methodology, I focus on helping leaders build personal power and certainty within. We start with a Leadership Audit to uncover their values, strengths, and blind spots. From there, we craft a vision aligned with their purpose and empower them to step into their iconic presence. By addressing self-sabotaging patterns like perfectionism or people-pleasing, we create a foundation of unshakable confidence.
I also emphasize balancing leadership with self-care. When CEOs model resilience and balance, it sets the tone for their entire organization.
With a mission to change the world one leader at a time, how do you envision the ripple effects of improved leadership at the top influencing the broader organizational and societal context?
Leadership at the top has a profound ripple effect. When a CEO steps into their personal power and leads with authenticity, courage, and vision, it inspires their entire organization to follow suit. This creates a culture of empowerment, innovation, and trust, key ingredients for long-term success.
But the impact doesn’t stop there. Improved leadership at the top influences how organizations engage with their communities, their approach to diversity and inclusion, and their commitment to sustainability. It’s a chain reaction: great leaders create great organizations, which, in turn, contribute to a better society.
My ultimate vision is a world where leadership is synonymous with purpose, impact, and humanity. By coaching CEOs to lead from their highest selves, I believe we can collectively create a more equitable and prosperous world.
You mention having multiple international certifications and being trained by top teachers and coaches. Could you elaborate on how this diverse training background informs your coaching techniques and methodologies?
Each certification and training program I’ve undertaken has added a unique dimension to my coaching approach. From Co-Active Training to Positive Intelligence and working with world-class mentors like Tony Robbins, Bob Proctor, and Neale Donald Walsch, I’ve gained a wealth of tools and insights that allow me to tailor my coaching to each client’s specific needs.
What truly sets my approach apart, however, is my ability to combine this expertise with intuition and a deep understanding of human behavior. I’m not afraid to ask the tough questions or challenge my clients’ limiting beliefs because I know that true growth often lies outside of our comfort zones.
My coaching is both strategic and deeply transformational. It’s about equipping leaders with the mindset, skills, and confidence they need to thrive, not just in their careers, but in every aspect of their lives.
In your experience, how crucial is it to align leadership development with organizational culture improvement, and how do you guide CEOs in fostering positive cultural change within their companies?
Aligning leadership development with organizational culture improvement is absolutely essential; it’s the foundation for sustainable success. A leader’s behavior, values, and mindset set the tone for the entire organization. If there’s a disconnect between how leaders show up and the culture they want to create, it breeds inconsistency and confusion within the team.
When I work with CEOs, we start by identifying their personal leadership values and aligning them with the desired cultural outcomes for their organization. Together, we examine what kind of environment they want to foster, whether it’s one of innovation, collaboration, or accountability, and then assess whether their actions and decisions model those values.
I also help CEOs identify and remove cultural blockers, such as micromanagement, lack of trust, or fear of failure. By focusing on clear communication, empowering their teams, and fostering psychological safety, they can create a thriving culture that supports both individual and organizational growth. When leadership development and culture improvement go hand in hand, it results in higher engagement, stronger performance, and long-lasting impact.
Tell us about your greatest career achievement so far.
One of my greatest career achievements has been building a business that transforms lives while staying deeply aligned with my purpose. Seeing CEOs step into their authentic power, create high-performing cultures, and achieve breakthroughs in both their professional and personal lives has been immensely rewarding. Another highlight was publishing my best-selling book, Wake Up – Do The Work – Save Humanity, which encapsulates my life’s work and has inspired leaders worldwide to embrace personal growth and legacy-building.
If you could change one thing about your industry, what would it be and why?
If I could change one thing about the coaching industry, it would be to elevate its standards for accountability and measurable impact. Too often, coaching is seen as a soft skill, but I believe in combining intuition with proven methodologies and tangible results. By setting a higher bar for certifications, ethical practices, and outcome-focused coaching, we can ensure that leaders get the transformation they deserve and the industry earns the credibility it needs.
Tell us about a pivotal moment in your life that brought you to where you are today.
One pivotal moment was the decision to leave a successful corporate career and step into entrepreneurship. At the time, I was at the peak of my corporate journey but felt unfulfilled despite the external success (like many of my clients do). It was a leap of faith driven by an inner calling to serve at a higher level and make a more meaningful impact. That decision was terrifying, but it taught me the power of trusting myself, embracing uncertainty, and following my purpose. It led me to where I am today, coaching world-class leaders, creating lasting change, and building a legacy of my own.
Bonus question: Finally, what advice would you give to CEOs looking to step into their next level of leadership?
My advice is simple but profound: start with yourself. Leadership excellence begins with self-awareness, clarity, and a commitment to personal growth. Take the time to identify what’s truly important to you and align your decisions with your values. Don’t be afraid to ask for support, whether from a coach, mentor, or trusted advisor.
Also, remember that being a great leader isn’t about being perfect; it’s about being authentic. Embrace your humanity, lead with courage, and empower those around you to rise to their potential. When you do this, you’ll not only elevate your own leadership but also create a ripple effect that impacts your organization, your community, and beyond.
