Meet Katia Triggiani, an exceptional ICF- certified professional coach and mentor. With an impressive career spanning SaaS marketing, technology business development, organizational transformation, and change management, Katia brings a strategic yet people-centered approach to leadership and business success. Katia’s ability to help companies achieve their profit goals while retaining, engaging, and motivating talent has firmly established her as a respected voice in the industry.
Finding True Passion
After spending over two decades in international business development, marketing, and leadership roles, Katia found her true passion in empowering others. For her, coaching is not just a career path but a way to translate experience into meaningful impact. Katia thrives on witnessing individuals take significant steps forward in their careers whether by stepping into global leadership roles, navigating major career transitions, or securing promotions they once believed were out of reach. She finds something incredibly fulfilling about helping individuals discover their voice, claim their space, and make decisions that align with their values and goals.
Blending High Performance with Human-Centric Leadership
Thanks to her experiences at Microsoft, Amazon, and ESCP Business School, Katia learned early in her career, that high performance and humanity are not mutually exclusive. She witnessed the value of clarity, selfdetermination, visibility, autonomy, and trust at Microsoft and Amazon. Through her collaboration with ESCP, one of her valued clients, Katia also has had the opportunity to support many students in their journey from university to their first professional roles. These experiences have enabled her to blend strategic thinking with empathetic leadership. Katia’s coaching style continues to evolve, it is pragmatic, neuroscience-based, solution-focused, and rooted in real-world experience.
Servant Leadership is the Way Forward
Katia believes successful leaders should possess selfawareness, resilience, and the ability to listen deeply. She feels true leadership is not only about having all the answers; rather, it involves asking the right questions, building trust, and creating an environment where others can thrive. She often highlights Gallup’s research, which shows that employees are 3.4 times more likely to be engaged at work once they are heard and supported.
Katia strongly supports the rise of servant leadership, where a leader’s role is to enable the success of others. “Leaders of tomorrow need to start today by asking themselves, How do people experience my leadership?” she says, “What am I amplifying through my behavior? In a world that demands adaptability, empathy, and ethical responsibility, the most effective leaders are those who see leadership not as a position of control but as a platform for service.”
Integrating Diversity and Inclusion in Coaching
Katia firmly believes that true inclusion begins with cultural, behavioral, philosophical, and historical knowledge. It also requires an open mind, that is free from judgment and bias. Katia’s approach is rooted in curiosity and an authentic desire to create a safe space where every voice is valued. As a co-founder of Minds Forward, Katia and her team design programs that embrace different perspectives, identities, and life paths.
Coaching is a Proactive Investment
Many people have misconceptions about coaching and mentorship, believing that coaching is only for those who are struggling. However, Katia sees coaching as a proactive investment in one’s personal and professional development. It’s for anyone who wants to look forward with clarity, purpose, and impact. Similarly, people often misunderstand mentorship as a one-way relationship where an older person guides a younger one. In reality, mentorship is a mutual growth relationship, where the most competent individual in a particular field guides another, irrespective of age or position.
Unlocking the Full Potential
Katia believes that to unlock one’s full potential, individuals can benefit from mindset shifts, such as moving from perfection to progress, from control to trust, and from self-doubt to self-leadership. She encourages individuals to reframe their thinking—from “I need to prove myself” to “I want to express my values through my work and intentionally choose an environment where I can thrive.” Another powerful mindset shift she highlights is moving from “Others ‘feedback is a result of my work” to “I know my value and give my best in any given moment. Feedback is precious, but I don´t depend on them”.
Emerging Trends in Leadership and Coaching
Over the years, Katia has witnessed a growing trend of integrating coaching into organizational culture, not just as a benefit but as a fundamental mindset. Additionally, coaching is being utilized for middle management and cross-functional teams, where significant cultural transformation can take place.
Embedding DEI as a Leadership Standard
While some organizations have discontinued their DEI programs, the reality is that diversity exists inherently. With the increasing demand for a qualified workforce and a shift towards skill-based hiring, companies will be compelled to embed diversity into practices instead of treating it as a separate initiative.
Katia believes, organizations must prioritize flexible and systemic methods of working together to maintain their competitiveness. She expects business leaders to model inclusive behavior rather than just endorse policies. However, she also emphasizes that the real transformation will only happen when leaders across the globe stop viewing DEI as an initiative and start embracing it as a fundamental leadership standard.
Picture of the Future
According to Katia, the future of coaching and mentorship will be more democratized, data-informed, and integrated into everyday work environments. Coaching will no longer be seen as a luxury for one-on-one situations; rather, it will be a core leadership skill embedded in how teams collaborate and grow.
She firmly believes mentorship should focus on empowering underrepresented groups, including women in male-dominated environments. It’s crucial to create opportunities for diverse voices to be heard and to ensure that leadership development is inclusive and balanced. This shift will support individual growth and foster more equitable organizational cultures.
Words of Wisdom
Katia advises aspiring coaches and mentors to understand that coaching is a mindset, not just a standalone profession. It involves embracing a way of being that prioritizes non-judgment, deep listening, and self-awareness.
By learning coaching principles, individuals can develop a mindset where they truly listen, stay present, and continuously work on their growth. Great coaching is not about providing answers; rather, it is about creating space for trust and transformation. It empowers others to discover their solutions while modeling the reflective and open attitude that inspires change.
