In conversation with Natalia Zalesinska

In this interview, we speak with Natalia Zalesinska, executive coach, trainer, and head of AoEC Poland. With a background in psychology and over 14 years in international HR, Natalia shares how a lifelong curiosity about human potential led her to coaching. She reflects on the influences that shaped her integrative style, why presence and simplicity are at the heart of her approach, and how coaching can help people thrive in a fast-changing world. Now an ICF-accredited PCC coach and faculty member on the AoEC’s Professional Practitioner and Practitioner Diploma in Executive Coaching, Natalia also shares the legacy she hopes to leave behind.

Can you please tell us more about your professional background and who or what introduced you to the wonderful world of coaching?

I’m an executive coach, coach trainer, and mentor coach, with a background in psychology and academic Human Resources Management. I spent over 14 years working in international corporate HR, partnering with leaders and teams at organisations such as HSBC, Morgan Stanley, and Westpac.

From an early age, I felt a deep pull toward understanding human potential. That thread continued into my psychology studies, where I first encountered coaching and NLP. It immediately resonated. I knew I had found something that aligned completely with the path I was meant to follow.

What was your own personal coach training journey?

From a young age, I was drawn to three questions that have shaped my path:

– What is the deeper purpose of life?
– How can we cultivate thriving relationships with ourselves and others?
– How can we access our ‘invisible’ potential to create the life we truly want?

These questions led me to study psychology. During my studies, a psychotherapist tutor introduced me to NLP, which felt like a revelation. In 2010, I joined my first NLP programme, and I immediately knew I had found my path.

From there, I continued to explore. I trained in Master NLP, shadow coaching, generative coaching, and completed the Advanced Practitioner Diploma in Executive Coaching with the AoEC. I’ve also studied Creative Mind Coaching, Advanced Creative Mind, and most recently, MindsetMap Coaching. It’s been a continuous, evolving journey - and one I’m still on.

Can you tell us about your own personal coaching model and what influences you most as a coach?

The AoEC programme was a turning point - it gave me the space and tools to create a model that truly reflects who I am. My coaching model is simple, intuitive, and rooted in presence.

I believe that simplicity awakens wisdom. At the heart of my work is deep presence - something I bring into every coaching space. From that place, intuition flows, creativity emerges, and transformation becomes possible.

What inspires me most is the limitless creative capacity of the human mind. I’m passionate about helping people tap into that creative potential and use it to shape meaningful, authentic change.

You describe yourself as an integrative and generative coach - what is it about generative coaching that resonates so strongly with you, and how does it shape the way you support clients in creating meaningful transformation?

I discovered generative coaching in 2015, and it felt like coming home. It gave me answers to the questions I had been asking since childhood - and continues to do the same for my clients.

Generative means creating something entirely new - something that didn’t exist before. This approach invites us to engage with multiple forms of intelligence: cognitive, somatic, systemic, and collective. It allows us to move beyond words into deeper realms of knowing, where insight and transformation happen.

In this space, challenges aren’t seen as obstacles, but as part of the solution team. We welcome them. We work with the shadow and the light. Resistance becomes resource. Clients integrate more of who they are and move forward not only with clarity, but also with peace, purpose, and grace.

This approach infuses everything I do - it’s the essence of my coaching style.

You have gone onto be accredited with the ICF at PCC level. Why was becoming accredited important to you and what value has it brought your practice?

For me, the rhythm of practice → reflection → practice is sacred. It’s what keeps me curious, humble, and committed to serving clients at the highest level.

Therefore, achieving my PCC accreditation was both a milestone and a deepening. It reflects my dedication to ethical, impactful coaching and lifelong learning. It also gives clients and organisations confidence that I hold myself to high standards - and that I’m constantly growing.

As the coaching profession matures, credentials are becoming more important. Many of the organisations I partner with now request accreditation, and it has helped me build deeper trust and access broader opportunities.

You lead a module on Beyond Words in the Professional Practitioner Diploma in Executive Coaching. What is it about this topic that particularly interests you?

Beyond Words is a module close to my heart. It draws on the principles of generative coaching and invites executive coaches to explore what happens in the deeper, often unspoken spaces of the coaching conversation.

It’s about helping coaches become finely attuned to their own presence state - the internal quality they bring into the room - and how that influences the client. Because the difference between a resourceful and unresourceful inner state is often the difference between surface-level change and profound transformation.

We also explore how to use multiple intelligences - body, emotion, metaphor, intuition - to help clients connect with their deepest goals and shift limiting patterns. Because sometimes, insight alone isn’t enough. The shift happens through the body, through presence, through resonance. And that’s where the magic is.

In your own coaching work, who are you working with and what type of coaching services are you offering?

I work with corporate executives, managers, entrepreneurs, start-ups, and teams. I also coach individuals going through major life transitions - those seeking deeper clarity, alignment, and a renewed sense of purpose - whether in their careers, businesses, or inner lives.

How do you think the role of coaching will develop in response to the future of work?

As the future of work continues to evolve - driven by AI, automation, and accelerated change - human beings will need to adapt in ways that go far beyond technical skills.

We’ll need to access not just cognitive intelligence, but also emotional, somatic, relational, and intuitive capacities to navigate increasing complexity with clarity and presence.

This is where coaching becomes essential. It supports individuals and teams to develop the self-awareness, resilience, and creativity needed to thrive - not just perform - in a rapidly changing world.

While machines may optimise processes, they cannot replace the depth of human connection, the power of reflection, or the wisdom that emerges from presence. Coaching creates space for all of that - and more. It helps people stay grounded, access multiple intelligences, and make decisions that are not only smart, but meaningful.

In the age of AI, coaching won’t be a luxury - it will be a necessity for human-centred, future-fit leadership.

Looking back, what advice would you give yourself when you were starting out?

Follow the path of the heart.

Even when the way feels uncertain, your passion will guide you. Trust it. Stay curious. Keep learning. And let your intuition lead the way.

What would you like your professional legacy to be?

Metaphorically? I hope to leave more light in the world.

Practically? I want to be known for offering transformational executive coaching, for delivering powerful learning experiences, and for helping others connect more deeply - with themselves, their purpose, and their potential.

I hope my legacy is one of presence, integrity, and meaningful impact.

Our deepest thanks to Natalia for sharing her expertise and insights into coach training.