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Credibility is not given. It is rebuilt. In this episode of What No One Tells You, Claudia Slujitoru is joined by Monica Ciobanu, Business Excellence Manager at Allergan Aesthetics, an AbbVie company, where her role now spans nine countries. Monica has moved through three very different industries in the past fifteen years, from Deloitte to Schneider Electric to her current role in pharmaceuticals and aesthetics. In this conversation she talks openly about what it actually takes to start over each time, and about the hardest professional decision she has faced so far: becoming a manager for the first time and having to let go of the very first person she hired. She shares what she leaned on to get through that decision, why she believes managers should never make hiring or firing choices alone, and how she has learned to read the cultural values of colleagues across nine different countries rather than assume her own approach translates everywhere. She also talks about her role within Women Leaders in Action, an internal community she has supported for the past two years, and why she chose to take that on despite an already demanding role. This is a conversation about what leadership costs before it starts paying off, and about rebuilding credibility every time the ground shifts underneath you. Now you know. Because we told you. #Leadership #NewManagers #WhatNoOneTellsYou

AI does not make leaders. It makes pretending to lead a lot harder. For decades, knowing more than anyone in the room was often enough to be in charge. In this episode, Pedro de Sousa Avelino, a technology and business transformation executive with a career spanning Brazil, Europe, Hong Kong, and Bangkok, explains why that advantage is disappearing, and what actually replaces it. We talk about the shift from being a source of answers to becoming an architect of good judgement, the human qualities that only grow more valuable as AI advances, empathy, integrity, the courage to be vulnerable, and the one habit Pedro believes every new manager needs to build immediately around AI and critical thinking. A conversation about leadership, judgement, and what it actually means to earn trust once the answer is no longer the hard part. Now you know. Because we told you.

Different people, same goal, good luck! Every manager eventually meets a team where the usual approach stops working for everyone at once. In this episode, Yamilet Nieto, manager at Air Liquide, shares what happened when the leadership style she trusted most, one built on closeness and relationships, stopped landing the same way across a genuinely diverse team. Yamilet talks openly about what she tried first, why it did not work, and the moment she realised that searching for one motivational message that suited everyone was the wrong question altogether. She walks through how she learned to pay attention to what actually moved each person individually, how she handled the tension of treating people differently in the name of fairness, and what alignment looked like once she stopped forcing one approach onto a team that never needed one. If you are leading a team that feels pulled in five directions and you are not sure where to start untangling it, this conversation offers a practical, honest way in. Now you know. Because we told you.

Most middle managers who want to reach the top spend years delivering results, doing everything right, and waiting for the moment they finally get there. And then they arrive, and realise they had no real idea what they were actually preparing for.In this episode of What No One Tells You, I sit down with Rudolf Fedorovici, founder of Advice Executive Search Romania and a psychologist with over 25 years of experience assessing senior leaders and advising organisations on what is and what is not working at the top.We talk about the biggest misunderstanding middle managers carry into senior roles, what genuine readiness actually looks like when you are assessing someone for a C-suite position, and why ambition, on its own, is never enough.Rudolf's perspective is grounded in decades of real conversations with real leaders across organisations, and this conversation may make you stop and think very differently about what you are actually aiming for.What we cover:- Why the move to senior leadership is a qualitative shift, not simply a bigger version of your current role- What signs tell an experienced assessor that someone is truly ready for the top- What it looks like when ambition outpaces readiness- Why "be careful what you wish for" might be the most important career advice you will ever hearAbout Rudolf FedoroviciRudolf is the founder of Advice Executive Search Romania. Earlier in his career he led the Romanian office of EMA Partners International and represented Odgers Berndtson in Romania. A psychologist by training, he has spent over 25 years advising organisations on senior leadership selection and assessment. He also served on the Board of Directors of World Vision Romania for nine years, including as Chair of the Board.🎙️ Hosted by Claudia Slujitoru | ICF ACC Certified Coach | HR and Training Professional🔗 claudia.coach | [email protected]#leadership #seniorleadership #middlemanager #leadershipdevelopment #executiveleadership #careerdevelopment #leadershipcoach #managementpodcast #WhatNoOneTellsYou #leadershippodcast

This is not a typical episode. No framework. No checklist. No tips you can take into Monday morning. For the Season 1 finale, Claudia Slujitoru does something she has never done on this podcast before — she coaches you. Five questions. No answers. Just the kind of honest, quiet reflection that most managers never get, because no one ever sits them down and asks the questions that actually matter. If you have been listening since Episode 1 or if this is the first time you are here, this episode works either way. All you need is a few minutes of silence, a willingness to be honest with yourself, and the courage to sit with what comes up. This is the end of Season 1. And it is just the beginning.

Every manager has a moment they are not proud of — the meeting where they snapped, the conversation where the wrong words came out before the right ones had a chance to form. In this episode, I am giving you a practical, three-step technique you can use in real time, in the room, the moment you feel your emotions starting to take over. No theory. No generic advice to "stay calm." Just a concrete tool — the Three-Beat Pause — that takes three to five seconds and works precisely when you need it most. You will learn where to locate your body's stress signal before your mouth opens, how to name what you are feeling silently to reduce its intensity on the spot, and how to choose your first word deliberately so it sets the right tone for everything that follows. The companion PDF for this episode includes a full body signal inventory, an emotion labelling list, and a one-week exercise to put this into practice immediately. 🎙️ Hosted by Claudia Slujitoru — ACC Certified Coach, 18 years in HR and Leadership📄 Companion PDF: claudia.coach and LinkedIn📩 [email protected] Watch on YouTube: #19 The Moment Before You Say Something You Regret

Welcome to Episode 18 of What No One Tells You. I am Claudia and today I want to ask you a question that might make you slightly uncomfortable. In the last two weeks: how many actual decisions did you make? Most managers are confusing being busy with leading. They hold meetings, gather input, facilitate alignment — and then wonder why their teams still feel stuck. The answer is almost always the same: nobody made a decision. In this episode I give you the Decision Audit — a simple weekly tool with three categories: ✅ Decisions I Made — clear calls, owned, communicated⏳ Decisions I Delayed — what you pushed back and what it cost🔍 Decisions I Disguised as Discussions — the calls you already knew the answer to, but held a meeting for anyway The third category is where the real growth is. And in this episode, I will show you exactly what to do about it. 📥 Download the free Decision Audit card at claudia.coach📩 Contact: [email protected] Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rx-kZjTviZY&t=5s

Do you actually know where each person on your team stands right now? Most new managers think they do. What they actually have is a collection of impressions — and managing on impressions is how you miss warning signs, lose your best people, and spend your time reacting instead of leading. In Episode 17 of What No One Tells You, Claudia Slujitoru introduces the Team Snapshot: a ten-minute exercise that maps your entire team across performance and engagement, tells you exactly what to do for each quadrant, and helps you see where your management attention is really going. 📄 Download the free companion PDF from the posting on LinkedIn — one page, four quadrant actions, three reflection questions.

Are you attending too many meetings and secretly already know it? In Episode 16 of What No One Tells You, I'm giving you one exercise to do this week that will show you exactly how much of your time is being quietly swallowed by meetings that don't actually need you there. No theory, no frameworks, just a practical toolkit you can start using today.📄 Download your free one-page PDF tracker (scoring system, ready-to-use phrases and Friday reflection prompts) from my LinkedIn post.

#15 AI Is Already Here. Now What? AI is already in your team — whether you have officially introduced it or not. Some of your people are using it every day. Others are avoiding it completely. And the gap between them is growing. In this episode of What No One Tells You, I am tackling the two AI challenges that are quietly landing on every manager's desk right now: how to manage a team that is divided in its relationship with AI, and how to set clear boundaries around how it should — and should not — be used. Because the philosophical debate is over. AI is here. The question now is a practical one: what do you actually do with it as a manager? What you will take away from this episode:— Why the AI productivity gap in your team needs your attention now— How to have an honest conversation with your team about AI without it becoming uncomfortable— What your company's AI policy is missing — and what you need to add at team level— Where the line is between using AI as a support tool and replacing human judgment entirely— Why your own engagement with AI is no longer optional This is the episode for every manager who knows AI is changing things but is not quite sure what to do about it.

#14 Their Performance Review. Your Problem. Performance review season is over. You had the conversations, delivered the feedback, and closed the laptop. And now you think the hard part is behind you. It isn't. While you're moving on, your team member is sitting at their desk doing the math on that 2% raise and quietly making decisions about their future. Whether they got difficult feedback or a glowing review with a disappointing number attached to it, what happens after the review is what determines whether they stay engaged or slowly check out. In this episode, I'm talking about the two scenarios that play out every review season, the core mistake managers make when it's over, and exactly what to do differently because the silence after a performance review is never neutral. In this episode: Why great reviews with small raises are just as dangerous as difficult onesWhat "thank you for the feedback" actually meansHow to follow up without reopening a can of wormsWhat to say when the salary number doesn't match the effortWhy the quiet, agreeable ones are the ones you should worry about mostThe review was the easy part. Showing up after it? That's the real job. 🎙️ What No One Tells You is the podcast for managers who want real talk, real solutions, and honest conversations about leadership, the kind your corporate training forgot to have.

Episode 13: The Power to Say "I Was Wrong" Three words most managers are terrified to say. Three words that could completely change how your team sees you. Your team already knows when you've messed up. The only question is whether you're brave enough to admit it. In this episode, I break down why saying "I was wrong" doesn't make you weak—it makes you real. You'll learn: The real cost of never admitting mistakes (and why it destroys trust faster than the mistake itself)Exactly when you need to say it—and when you don'tThe 5-step framework for admitting mistakes without grovelingWhat happens to your team's culture when you get this rightWhy European corporate culture makes this harder (and how to do it anyway)This isn't about being perfect. It's about being honest. Your team doesn't need a flawless manager. They need one who deals in reality. Now you know. Because I told you.

Taking over a new team while managing your existing one? Both teams are scared, watching your every move, and you're in the middle trying to make it work. In this episode, I break down actionable strategies for your first 30 days of integration - from conducting one-to-ones and mapping processes, to managing remote team dynamics and celebrating small wins. What you'll learn:✅ How to build credibility with both teams without playing favorites✅ Why you need to document processes before making decisions✅ How to acknowledge different team maturity levels without shame✅ Managing the remote vs. on-site team balance honestly✅ Preventing your workload from doubling✅ Establishing shared goals that unite both teams✅ Managing your own manager's expectations about integration timelines Perfect for managers facing restructures, mergers, scope expansions, or any situation where you're blending two teams into one.

#11 - How To Lead When Nobody Respects You Yet - Part 2 You followed Part 1. You set boundaries, showed consistency, delivered results. Three months later, someone still rolls their eyes in meetings. Or you lost your temper once and feel like you're back at square one. Here's what nobody tells you: earning respect takes 6-12 months, not 6 weeks. The middle months are the hardest. In this episode: The three types who still won't respect you (and how to handle each one differently): The Holdout who wanted your jobThe Tester checking if you're realThe Genuine Skeptic who's been burned beforeWhen YOU mess up your own progress - how to recover from mistakes without falling apart. The patience paradox - knowing when to give more time vs. when to escalate. The secret accelerator that speeds up earning respect faster than anything you can do alone. If you're in month four wondering whether this is working, this episode is for you.

Just started leading a new team and they don't respect you yet? Here's the brutal truth: trying to impose your authority will backfire. In this episode, I share the Authority Paradox and 6 practical strategies to earn respect without pulling rank: from handling strong personalities to making your first decisions count. Whether you got promoted or joined a new company, this is how you build real authority that doesn't depend on your title.