From the Field

Insights

Notes on leadership clarity, pressure, responsibility, transitions, and the moments where how we lead begins to change.

These articles are for capable professionals and leaders who want to see more clearly, communicate more honestly, and move through complexity without carrying everything alone.

Clarity in Complexity 14 Leading Under Pressure 15 Leadership Identity 14 Communication, Trust & Influence 4 Sustainable Performance & Focus 17
A man stands at a signpost with four arrows showing an ear, a rising arrow, and two people icons, where a path forks through hills.

June 1, 2026

The Question Leaders Forget to Ask

“How can I support you?”

Communication, Trust & Influence
A handwritten note reads "I didn't get the promotion yet," with "yet" written in cursive and haloed by a burst of light.

May 25, 2026

The Power of Yet

One simple word can change the whole direction of a thought.

Leadership Identity
A woman holds a round magnifying glass to one eye, revealing a clear path toward a target, while a tangled scribble floats unfocused behind her.

May 18, 2026

The Problem Was Never Confidence

You don’t need more motivation, more hours, or more tools.

Leadership Identity
Two stacked scenes of the same woman at a meeting table with three colleagues: isolated under a narrow spotlight looking tense above, relaxed and engaged in warm even light below.

May 11, 2026

From Proving Yourself to Creating Value

In a recent coaching session, a director was stressed about an important upcoming meeting with a VP and a new CMO.

Leadership Identity
A single small green seedling grows from a mound of soil, lit by a narrow spotlight in an otherwise empty grey space.

May 4, 2026

What You Focus On Expands

“Fabiana, are you not reading the news?”, a friend asked.

Clarity in Complexity
A cluttered dashboard of many small mismatched panels on the left transforms into two clean charts labeled "On Track" on the right.

April 27, 2026

Upgrading the System Not the Effort

There is always a simple solution to any complex problem.

Sustainable Performance & Focus
A woman at a table faces a wall covered in a tangled mind-map on one side and an open glowing doorway on the other, with a foam roller resting on the table between them.

April 20, 2026

When the Obvious Was Not an Option

Recently, I was at the gym and found myself curious about a woman using a tool I had never seen before, doing stretches I didn’t recognize.

Clarity in Complexity
A man in silhouette stands centered where warm orange light meets cool blue light, the two tones blending softly behind him.

April 6, 2026

The Paradox of Leadership: When Opposites Coexist

Last December, my great-uncle passed away.

Leadership Identity
A woman in silhouette climbs a staircase that fades into white mist just ahead of her.

March 30, 2026

From a Perfect Plan to Clear Direction

In a session with a Director, she was overwhelmed by a request to deliver a 5-year vision.

Clarity in Complexity
A man walks away from a rocky, stone-cluttered path toward a smoother winding path leading to a large boulder, in a muted monochrome scene.

March 16, 2026

The Shift from Fixing Problems to Choosing Them

Being intentional about the problem you choose to solve can change the trajectory of your career.

Clarity in Complexity
A five-step staircase diagram of the Via Alignment Leadership Framework, rising from Level 1 Effort and Control to Level 5 Intelligent Emergence, with illustrated figures and icons at each level.

March 9, 2026

The Via Alignment Leadership Framework

Many leadership problems are not execution problems. They are level-of-leadership problems.

Leadership Identity
A circular diagram with four colored arrows labeled Cue, Craving, Response, and Reward looping back into each other.

February 23, 2026

Slowing Down to Understand Your Habits

It always fascinates me how powerful simple ideas can be.

Sustainable Performance & Focus
A 3D scene where cracking concrete letters spelling "GOALS" give way to golden thread letters spelling "HABITS" atop bronze gears labeled "SYSTEMS," rising toward a glowing "RESULTS" icon.

February 18, 2026

Goals Don’t Create Results. Habits Do.

I have received many questions about goal consistency and how to make it last. For that reason, I will dedicate the next few articles to exploring…

Sustainable Performance & Focus
An open planner with a few sparse handwritten entries lies on a wooden desk beside a cup of coffee and a gold pen.

February 9, 2026

What Happens to Goals After January

We are now in February, the second month of the year. It is interesting how some patterns repeat themselves.

Sustainable Performance & Focus
A woman in a tan blazer leans against a wall half in shadow and half in warm light, gazing calmly off to the side.

February 2, 2026

From Title to Posture: Embodying Leadership

“I am a new leader.”

Leadership Identity
Two silver fish swim face to face underwater, seen from above with light rippling on the surface.

January 26, 2026

The Invisible Reality: Uncovering the Patterns We Follow

Recently, I listened to a short philosophical anecdote.

Leading Under Pressure
A three-panel illustration of a rollerblader bracing to fall, then sliding, then lying on the ground in protective gear.

January 19, 2026

Why Learning to Fall Matters More Than Getting It Right

I studied for more than 18 years, across three different countries. The one class I never had in formal education was how to learn to fall. Not…

Leading Under Pressure
An open journal with the handwritten line "Work on my health?" repeated faintly down both pages, a pen resting across it.

January 12, 2026

The Invisible Resistance Behind Our Goals

I often ask myself why some people are able to achieve what they want, while others aren’t.

Sustainable Performance & Focus
An empty three-tier diagram with one box branching into three main boxes, each branching into three smaller boxes below, ready to be filled in.

January 5, 2026

From Overwhelm to Clarity

A client arrived at a session completely overwhelmed. Too much to do. No idea where to start. Three big projects and zero clarity.

Clarity in Complexity
A minimal silhouette of a person standing where a faded, glitchy purple trail meets a bright, clean blue-white path.

December 29, 2025

The Cost of “It Could Have Been”

“Fabiana, it could have been.”

Clarity in Complexity
A hand reaching toward the close button of one browser tab among many open tabs in a web browser window.

December 22, 2025

Closing Tabs

We are closing 2025, and the air feels mixed. There is excitement for the holidays, and at the same time, a loud exhaustion and sense of overwhelm.

Clarity in Complexity
An aerial view of a single forest path splitting into many winding trails that fan out through green woods.

December 16, 2025

How to Navigate Choice Overload

“We were happier when we did not have so many choices.”

Clarity in Complexity
An illustrated metal chain breaks open at one link, its severed end dissolving into glowing golden light.

December 11, 2025

From Childhood Patterns to Conscious Adulthood

“Do you know what it is to not have something, yet still be expected to give it?”

Leading Under Pressure
A minimal line drawing of a person's back and shoulders, with a warm glowing spot highlighted between the shoulder blades.

November 24, 2025

When Common Is Not Normal

Have you ever woken up feeling different and realized that what you accepted as normal was not serving you at all?

Leading Under Pressure
A pie chart divided into six labeled wedges: Career, Family, Health, Growth, Learning, and Rest.

November 17, 2025

Reimagining Balance Through Harmony

Balance became a loaded concept. Everybody has an opinion about it:

Sustainable Performance & Focus
A smooth stone engraved with the word "RESET" rests on a larger rock outdoors, backlit by warm evening light among green leaves.

November 10, 2025

Redecide on Purpose, Choose with Intention

Most people live on autopilot.

Clarity in Complexity
A man in a suit stands still holding a coffee cup as a blurred crowd of pedestrians rushes past him on a city crosswalk.

November 3, 2025

Be Where Your Body Is, The Power of Presence

Be where your body is.

Leading Under Pressure
Two side-by-side photos of the same two colleagues: tense and unspeaking on the left, then smiling and shaking hands on the right.

October 27, 2025

How To Influence Up, Not Fight Reality

I believe in possibility, and part of my mission is also to bring clients back to reality when needed.

Communication, Trust & Influence
Two side-by-side photos of the same woman: applauded by colleagues in a celebratory moment on the left, and alone reviewing papers under a desk lamp at night on the right.

October 20, 2025

Stage vs Backstage, Stop Comparing and Start Progressing

One of the toughest traps I see is this: people compare their backstage with someone else’s stage.

Leadership Identity
A man sits with hands clasped facing someone across a table taking notes, while two colleagues behind him clap and give a thumbs up.

October 6, 2025

The Truth-Teller Advantage: What Real Support Looks Like

At the end of every coaching session, I ask my clients what was most valuable.

Communication, Trust & Influence
A small brass balance scale weighs a bandage on one side against a tangled ball of dark rope on the other.

September 29, 2025

Face the Hard Now, Live Easier Later

One of the most useful skills you can learn is how to process difficult emotions.

Sustainable Performance & Focus
A man carrying a briefcase walks alone along a winding mountain path toward a glowing sun on the horizon, painted in warm ochre tones.

September 22, 2025

The messy middle - Progress Happens in the Middle, Not in the Headlines

Last week, I posted the article “Success Is Not a Straight Line, Anticipate the Detours”, and I got questions about what I call the messy middle, so I…

Sustainable Performance & Focus
A split diagram: a straight line labeled A to B on one side, and a winding path cluttered with obstacles labeled A to B on the other.

September 15, 2025

Success Is Not a Straight Line, Anticipate the Detours

There is a common misconception that success is linear.

Sustainable Performance & Focus
A pair of open hands, one holding a heavy black kettlebell, the other holding a light white daisy resting on a feather.

September 1, 2025

The Purpose of Life, Demystified

Have you ever thought that you were made for more? Have you ever asked yourself, “Why am I successful and still not happy?”

Leadership Identity
Two side-by-side photos of the same woman at a desk: first stressed with her hand on her temple beside coffee cups, then calm while writing in a notebook.

August 25, 2025

Clean Pain, Dirty Pain, and Why It Matters

I love the concept of clean pain and dirty pain because it is simple and powerful.

Leading Under Pressure
A person stands at a fork in a wooded path between two signs reading "GAP" and "GAIN."

August 18, 2025

The Gap and the Gain: Why Recognition Matters More Than You Think

I learned the concept of The Gap and the Gain from a book of the same name, it blew my mind. It’s wonderfully simple and incredibly powerful.

Sustainable Performance & Focus
A hiker with an orange backpack stands at a three-way signpost, looking out over a sunlit valley with a winding river below.

August 4, 2025

The Power of Five: How Past Decisions Shape Your Present

Pause for a moment and think of five major decisions you've made in the past that are shaping your life today.

Clarity in Complexity
Two side-by-side photos of the same man at a laptop: first stressed with his head in his hand, then calm and smiling with hands clasped.

July 29, 2025

Stop Resisting: Make Peace with Where You Are to Move Forward

Every time you fight reality, you lose.

Leading Under Pressure
A hand places a small brick block onto the top of a stepped pyramid built from identical bricks on a tabletop.

July 21, 2025

Do the Basics Well: The Secret to Real Progress

Success is simple; it is a series of simple actions that create it.

Sustainable Performance & Focus
A split scene: a digital alarm clock reading 5:30 glows on a dark nightstand beside a warm-lit gym where a man lifts a barbell among other people exercising.

July 14, 2025

Choose Your Hard: The Trade-Offs That Shape Your Life

I believe in abundance and expansion. Yet, there are times when we need to choose our hard, to decide which difficulties we prefer.

Clarity in Complexity
Two doors side by side, one dim and labeled "Fear," the other sunlit and labeled "Faith."

July 7, 2025

Fear or Faith: You’re Imagining Both - So Choose Wisely

My client was concerned that he might be laid off. It is justifiable; instead of denying what comes, let’s acknowledge and analyze it.

Leading Under Pressure
A hallway lined with closed dark doors leading to one open door glowing with warm light at the end.

June 30, 2025

The Freedom in Rejection: How Asking Anyway Can Open New Doors

One of the hardest things I’ve done in my life was looking for a job when I was unemployed.

Leadership Identity
A man seen from behind stands facing an illuminated panel that reads "Certainty," "Clarity," "Confidence."

June 23, 2025

Certainty Is an Inside Job - The Feeling You Seek Isn’t Out There

I love certainty. I love clarity. Even if I know none is real.

Leading Under Pressure
A glowing diagram titled "Emotional Cycle of Change" tracing a U-shaped curve through five numbered stages, from Uninformed Optimism down through the Valley of Despair up to Success and Fulfillment.

June 16, 2025

Why Change Feels Hard and What to Do About It

Have you ever wondered why change feels so hard?

Leading Under Pressure
A man in a suit, seen from behind, stands at a fork in a path facing two winding trails through a green landscape.

June 9, 2025

Your Intentions Matter: Why Do You Do What You Do?

It is not about what you do; it is about the intention behind what you do.

Leadership Identity
An hourglass with golden sand flowing through it, flanked by white flowers on a wooden table.

June 2, 2025

Mortality Motivation: How Facing Death Could Be a Reminder To Live Fully

One of my mentors talks about mortality motivation. He says that when we face death with our eyes, we give a different meaning to life.

Leadership Identity
A dark gift box tied with a satin ribbon bow, sitting on a plain surface with a soft shadow.

May 27, 2025

Do you really want what you say you want?

Do you really want what you say you want?

Leadership Identity
A large 3D question mark rendered in segmented layers with a warm glow at its center, set against a plain grey background.

May 19, 2025

Dissect the Question, Discover the Truth

Our brains are fascinating machines that are designed to keep us safe, not to make us thrive or dream.

Clarity in Complexity
A silhouetted figure stands in a dark room facing a single door slightly ajar, with warm light spilling through the gap.

May 12, 2025

Answer your own questions. You may realize that the worst is already happening.

Our brains are fascinating machines. Below is a sample of questions I hear often in my coaching sessions.

Leading Under Pressure
A pair of glasses reflecting the words "Integrity," "Freedom," and "Respect" on their lenses, with a blurred office scene and a walking figure visible through them.

May 5, 2025

Stop overreacting, start managing up

What is important to you? What do you value most?

Communication, Trust & Influence
Five figures in business suits climb a winding staircase that loops back on itself, moving from cool blue-green tones toward a warm orange sky above a city skyline.

April 21, 2025

Wherever You Go, There You Are: The Hidden Constant Behind Your Challenges

“Hawaii is a state of mind.”

Leading Under Pressure
A desk calendar page reading "MONDAY" with "Start today" handwritten and crossed out three times, a pen resting beside it.

April 15, 2025

Tell yourself the truth, and your life will change.

Stop lying to yourself. Make telling the truth a must.

Leading Under Pressure
A title card reading "Parkinson's Law" with the quote "Work expands to fill the time available for its completion" beside an hourglass with sand flowing through it.

March 31, 2025

Why Work Expands to Fill the Time: Understanding and Outsmarting Parkinson’s Law

Time management is often a topic in my coaching sessions. There are so many techniques and ways to improve it.

Sustainable Performance & Focus
An iceberg with only a small peak visible above the waterline next to a boat, while a much larger glowing blue mass extends beneath the surface.

March 25, 2025

The problem is never the problem

I know you are a smart person. I also know that you have a recurring topic that bothers you and that you have been trying to solve it for a while without…

Clarity in Complexity
A man sits at a laptop in a sunlit office, pen in hand, focused on the screen with papers and a desk lamp beside him.

March 17, 2025

The power of presence

When was the last time that you were present where you were? I mean, intentionally present. Can you remember?

Leading Under Pressure
A glowing dollar sign at the center of ornamental silver-blue and gold swirling patterns dotted with floating spheres.

March 10, 2025

How much is enough for you?

How much is enough for you? Do you know the answer?

Leadership Identity
An antique clock face at the center of swirling gold and blue smoke-like ribbons split into warm and cool halves.

March 3, 2025

Two Myths About Time

Time is a relative subject. Although you can measure it, each person will feel it differently.

Sustainable Performance & Focus
A pair of ornate balance scales glowing gold on one side and cool silver-blue on the other, surrounded by floating spheres of light.

February 24, 2025

The overlooked step in the decision-making process

Making a decision can be challenging. It may bring doubt, confusion, and uncertainty.

Clarity in Complexity
The same forest path painted four times side by side, showing winter snow, spring blossoms, summer greenery, and autumn foliage.

February 17, 2025

Like nature, we all have seasons. What season are you in?

I feel lucky enough to work on something I am passionate about. Whether I act as a coach in a coaching session or in a project acting as an Information…

Sustainable Performance & Focus
A glowing golden keyhole radiates light and feathery blue and orange wisps against a dark, star-flecked background.

February 8, 2025

You are allowed to dream

Being an adult is challenging. We don’t come with manuals, instructions, etc. We are raised by other humans who, like us, also didn’t receive a manual.

Leadership Identity
A side-profile head split into warm red-orange and cool green-teal halves, with a swirling brain rendered in pink and yellow quilled-paper style at the center.

February 1, 2025

Lessons from My Emotional Intelligence Journey

It is so common to talk about emotional intelligence today, and we often don’t even know what an emotion feels like. We ask everybody to do something, and…

Leading Under Pressure
A yin-yang-like sphere formed from overlapping black and white ribbon layers curving around each other, next to the Via Alignment logo.

January 25, 2025

Stop being all-or-nothing

Our relationship with time is a little different today. With technology in the palm of my hand, I definitely live an easier life than my grandma Elizia…

Sustainable Performance & Focus
An abstract composition split between a tangled monochrome swirl of wires and spirals on one side and a vivid flowing wave of blue, purple, orange, and red ribbons on the other.

January 19, 2025

3 Goal-Setting Mistakes (And How to Fix It Today)

Setting goals is easy. Setting goals in a way that will empower and move you is an entirely different story. We all know that in February, most of the…

Sustainable Performance & Focus
A star-dial compass rests on a diamond-shaped platform surrounded by dried grasses, gold spheres, and a radial line pattern, with the Via Alignment logo below.

January 11, 2025

A Goal-Setting Method That Will Change Your Year

At this time of the year, most of my clients are thinking, talking, and working on defining goals. From my experience, there are a few simple steps that…

Sustainable Performance & Focus