Getting Out of Your Own Way: Leadership Lessons from Executive Coach Fiona Gomes Bhattacharya
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Leadership is about more than just titles, strategies, and performance reviews. True leadership - sustainable, values-aligned, and fulfilling - requires a deep understanding of who you are and what’s standing in your way.
That’s exactly what Fiona Gomes Bhattacharya helps her clients uncover.
In the latest episode of Brains Behind The Business, we sat down with Fiona, an Executive and Leadership Coach with 25 years of corporate experience, to explore what it really takes to become the kind of leader others want to follow - and how to move through the internal barriers that keep so many high-achieving professionals stuck.
Whether you're navigating change, leveling up your career, or looking for a more purpose-driven approach to leadership, this episode is packed with valuable insights.
From Corporate Leader to Certified Coach
Fiona’s path to coaching wasn’t a sudden pivot. It was a gradual evolution - rooted in a powerful realization.
While managing teams in India, she noticed many high-potential women leaving the workforce to get married or raise families - often without fully exploring their options. Years later, many of them regretted that choice but found re-entering the workforce difficult.
That experience planted a seed for Fiona. Over the years, she found herself coaching informally, helping others navigate career and leadership decisions. Eventually, she pursued formal training and certification, becoming an ICF- and EMCC-certified coach with specialties in DISC, Hogan, and StrengthsFinder assessments.
Her mission? To help leaders - especially rising women and Asian women in corporate America - step into their potential with clarity, confidence, and purpose.
Coaching the Person, Not the Problem
One of the most powerful takeaways from Fiona’s episode is her emphasis on coaching the person, not the problem.
It doesn’t matter if her clients are startup founders, doctors, military veterans, or corporate executives. The work is always personal. It’s about helping someone understand who they are, what they value, and how they can become the best version of themselves.
“You’re at the table because you deserve to be there,” Fiona says - an important reminder, especially for women and underrepresented leaders who often struggle with imposter syndrome.
Whether a client comes to her feeling directionless or overly confident that they “don’t have a problem,” Fiona meets them where they are. Through thoughtful questioning, values exploration, and evidence-based assessments, she helps clients uncover blind spots, realign with their goals, and take intentional steps forward.
Leadership Isn’t One-Size-Fits-All
Fiona brings a refreshingly human approach to both 1:1 coaching and team dynamics. As a certified systemic team coach, she supports groups in building trust and alignment - often starting with something as simple (yet powerful) as sharing accomplishments and acknowledging each other’s strengths.
She acknowledges that not every team member wants to become best friends with their leader - but everyone wants to feel seen, heard, and supported.
Creating psychological safety isn’t just a buzzword in her work - it’s foundational.
“Even at home,” Fiona says, “you have to build psychological safety. We take it for granted, but it’s a conscious effort.”
By helping leaders create that safety, whether through one-on-one sessions or team development workshops, she’s empowering them to build more resilient, engaged, and high-performing teams.
The Most Common Barrier: Confidence
If there’s one challenge that comes up time and again in Fiona’s work, it’s confidence. And not just in junior professionals - senior leaders often struggle with self-doubt, too.
Her approach? Break it down.
Instead of chasing confidence as a fixed destination, Fiona works with her clients to define what confidence looks like for them. Then, they create micro-moments of success and celebrate every small step forward.
It’s this combination of mindset work, emotional awareness, and actionable structure that makes her coaching so effective.
What to Expect in a Session with Fiona
If you’re considering booking a session with Fiona on Accomplishr, expect a collaborative, insight-driven conversation grounded in empathy and strategy. The first session is about establishing fit - making sure both the client and coach feel aligned.
From there, the work begins: defining goals, exploring values, using assessment tools to create awareness, and building out a roadmap that supports long-term transformation.
Whether your goal is clarity, promotion, better team communication, or simply feeling more fulfilled in your role, Fiona brings both heart and precision to every coaching relationship.
🎧 Ready to hear more? Don’t miss this inspiring and practical conversation with Fiona Gomes Bhattacharya. 👉 Listen to the full episode of Brains Behind the Business here or on your favorite podcast app!
