Beyond the Noise

Beyond the Noise Media

Beyond the Noise is for the leaders everyone turns to, yet who rarely get space to think for themselves. Hosted by executive coaches Khurshid Zaynutdinov and Anastasija Lynch, trusted by board directors, founders, and senior leaders. Real conversations on clarity, fulfilment, and leadership that lasts. Helping you lead with energy instead of exhaustion.

  1. Oct 15

    Lonely at the Top: What Leaders Never Admit | Lise Bruynooghe

    The higher you get, the more lonely you are. Executive coach Lise Bruynooghe on why leaders hide what they really think, and what it costs them. Most leaders can't show doubt at work. They project strength while their team is being restructured, again. Some confide in the wrong person and get burned. And most of us are better at lying to ourselves than we'd like to admit. In this episode of Beyond the Noise, Lise Bruynooghe (Master Certified Coach, ICF, and Chair of the ICF Global Enterprise Board) joins hosts Anastasija and Khurshid Zaynutdinov to talk about what leaders don't say out loud, and where they can finally be honest. In this episode: → Why constant restructuring is now "business as usual" for most senior leaders → The loneliness of leadership, and the risk of being vulnerable at work → What AI can and can't do in coaching → How we lie to ourselves, and the masks leaders wear → Why work and personal life can't be coached separately → Fear that looks like wisdom, and how to act anyway About Lise Bruynooghe: Lise is an internationally recognised executive coach working 1:1 with CEOs and senior leaders worldwide. Before coaching, she was an economist, a banker and a change management leader. She coaches from the Swiss mountains and online, often on walks rather than in meeting rooms. 🔗 Connect with Lise: Website: https://www.lisebruynooghe.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisebruynooghe/ Free coaching skills videos (Substack): https://lisebruynooghe.substack.com Chapters: 00:45 The Role of Human Connection in Coaching 00:45 Introduction to Fantastic Lee and Her Journey 04:33 Navigating Uncertainty in Leadership 08:12 The Impact of Personal Experiences on Coaching 11:45 The Role of Human Connection in Coaching 15:40 The Importance of Vulnerability in Leadership 19:27 The Power of Body Language in Coaching 23:33 Walking as a Tool for Clarity and Insight 30:16 Walking Meetings: A New Approach to Leadership 30:54 Navigating Market Conflicts in Leadership 33:45 Empowering Audacity in Leadership 34:39 Integrating Personal and Professional Lives 39:52 The Importance of Extended Coaching Sessions 43:13 Seeking Support in Volatile Times 46:29 Dreaming Big: Coaching in Schools 52:14 The Role of Fear in Leadership and Coaching Beyond the Noise is a podcast for leaders navigating relentless change: honest conversations about leadership, uncertainty and the topics people avoid. #Leadership #ExecutiveCoaching #LonelyAtTheTop

  2. Oct 1

    Fear, Trust & Corporate Culture: Leading When Things Get Complicated with Fay Niewiadomski

    Your company says it values trust. Your people are quietly running on fear.Fay Niewiadomski has spent decades working with CEOs, boards and leadership teams. She joins Anastasija and Khurshid to talk honestly about what's happening inside organizations right now: decision fatigue in a world that won't stop moving, values on the wall that nobody lives, why you can't build trust when performance runs on fear, and what AI can never do for you as a leader.About Fay: founder and CEO of ICTN, former dean, award-winning change management strategist, and leadership coach. With around 20 years in academia, four businesses founded, a clinical hypnotherapist, and creator of The Four Journeys of a Leader program.Fay's book — Decisions That Matter: Rethink, Reimagine, Reset Your Lifehttps://tinyurl.com/ytnr7tpb🔗 Connect with FayLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fayniewiadomski/ICTN: https://www.ictn.com/Chapters0:00 Intro0:54 Meet Fay Niewiadomski3:24 The biggest struggle leaders face right now5:44 Why the best leaders stop trying to control everything8:53 It's never one leader10:24 Why your company values mean nothing13:26 The cost of being wrong17:34 Shareholders vs. stakeholders20:48 You can't build trust in a culture of fear23:37 What to do when you're stuck in a fearful culture29:17 The developer who stopped using AI30:29 What AI can't do: judgment and wisdom34:54 Has leaders' communication got worse?37:25 Are you surrendering to AI?41:30 Business emotional intelligence46:11 Who inspires Fay49:17 Competence, courage and compassion50:42 You don't have to be open with everyone all the timeBeyond the Noise — honest conversations for leaders navigating a world that won't slow down. Hosted by Anastasija and Khurshid.Watch the full video episode on YouTube and subscribe for new episodes biweekly.

  3. Aug 20

    Paralyzed From the Neck Down, He Still Says It Was a Gift

    Paralyzed from the neck down at 21, and the first thought that ran through his head wasn't fear — it was gratitude that he still had his mind. Max was snowboarding in Colorado when a fall left him with a C3-C4 spinal contusion. What followed was a recovery built on faith, an almost stubborn refusal to let go of momentum, and a complete rewrite of what he thought mattered. He talks with Anastasija and Khurshid about the accident itself, the mentor who told him "don't let me believe in you more than you believe in you," and why so many of us wait for a crisis before we let ourselves change. Timestamps:0:06 – Welcome + introducing Max0:24 – The accident: paralyzed from the neck down3:20 – What losing control taught him about the control we think we have4:14 – The first thought after the injury: gratitude for his mind8:46 – Khurshid's story: living in the present with a premature son10:12 – Faith before and after the injury — the prayer the rescuers mistook for a head injury15:22 – Getting through the hardest days18:14 – Borrowing belief from the people around you21:43 – His mission: helping people understand adversity27:44 – "Don't let me believe in you more than you believe in you"31:37 – What he used to chase that wasn't worth it37:46 – Why we wait for a crisis before we change41:26 – Separating what's actually important46:03 – His dream: helping people understand their own power52:15 – Closing advice: define your vision, your why, and your anti-why About Max:Max is a snowboarding accident survivor who was paralyzed from the neck down with a C3-C4 spinal contusion and made what he calls a "110%" recovery, going on to run two ultra marathons and complete a half Iron Man. He now works to help people understand adversity, tap into their own potential, and stop waiting for a crisis to make the changes they already know they need to make. Follow Max: https://www.instagram.com/maxwellkrohn/ Web: https://maxkrohn.com/ More from Beyond the Noise:🌐 https://btnpod.com/📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/btntalks/💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beyond-the-noise-podcast/

  4. Aug 6

    She Survived 11 Layoffs, Then Quit Anyway — Here's What Broke Open

    You get laid off, and instead of falling apart, you smile, then cry the second no one's watching. Years later you finally quit a job you actually like, and somehow that's scarier than any layoff ever was. Lin Cassie went through multiple rounds of layoffs across two countries, the first as a 20-something in 2008, the last as a design manager in Berlin, before making the strange discovery that walking away on her own terms was harder than being pushed. She and hosts Anastasija and Khurshid dig into what it actually felt like in the room each time, how she traced her own fears back to her parents', and why she thinks the leadership traits that get rewarded right now might be part of the problem. About Lin Cassie:Lin Cassie is a leadership coach and systems consultant who helps leaders and teams navigate the complexity of modern work — from organizational growth and shifting roles to cross-functional collaboration. Her approach starts with cultivating awareness: helping people recognize their habitual patterns and create space to make sense of pressure and uncertainty, so they can respond intentionally rather than react automatically. From there, she expands the focus to the wider organizational system — helping leaders move beyond silos, make better decisions, and build stronger alignment across teams. 🔗 Connect with Lin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lin-cassie-zhen-73215113/ More from Beyond the Noise:🎥 Full video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/s1e3Vkfjaag🌐 https://btnpod.com/📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/btntalks/💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beyond-the-noise-podcast/

About

Beyond the Noise is for the leaders everyone turns to, yet who rarely get space to think for themselves. Hosted by executive coaches Khurshid Zaynutdinov and Anastasija Lynch, trusted by board directors, founders, and senior leaders. Real conversations on clarity, fulfilment, and leadership that lasts. Helping you lead with energy instead of exhaustion.