Effective leadership is deeply rooted in a reframing perspective that emphasizes growth, self-awareness and a strong commitment to purpose. By adopting this approach, leaders are better equipped to navigate challenges while aligning their personal values with organizational goals. Leaders who embrace this mindset recognize that leadership is a multifaceted journey—one that integrates technical expertise, emotional intelligence and core personal values.
A key quality of such leaders is their ability to create safe, supportive spaces for clients. These nurturing environments encourage individuals to confront their vulnerabilities, fostering genuine growth and enabling open, candid discussions—both critical to effective learning. Through emotional intelligence training, leaders help executives become aware of their emotional triggers and blind spots, while vision alignment workshops empower them to clearly articulate their vision and connect it with their organization’s mission.
With a focus on long-term impact, these coaches advocate for building sustainable legacies over chasing short-term wins. They champion change, driving initiatives that weave purpose and social responsibility into the fabric of business practices, ensuring that leadership remains both effective and deeply meaningful.
Among these inspiring leaders is Kayla Vatalaro, Founder & Principal Coach of Vatalaro Coaching. Her unique perspective, rooted in her personal experiences as an adopted individual, allows her to create supportive environments for diverse clients. With extensive executive experience across various industries, she delivers tailored strategies that effectively address individual and organizational challenges. Committed to nurturing growth, Kayla empowers her clients to realize their fullest potential while making meaningful contributions to their communities. Through her guidance, clients thrive professionally and create positive impacts within their organizations.
The Competitive Advantage of Purposeful Leadership
After years of working as a leader in high-growth environments, Kayla found herself naturally drawn to mentoring other leaders—some emerging, others well-established—on navigating their careers and the complexities of leadership at the highest levels.
These conversations were not limited to tactical advice; they focused on helping individuals find clarity amidst ambiguity, chaos and high-stakes situations. She realized that this was where she could make the most meaningful impact.
What struck her most was the internal struggle many executives faced: they desired to create real, positive change but felt they had to choose between that goal and running a successful company. Having experienced this tension firsthand, she understood that her greatest value lay in helping leaders find balance—demonstrating that leading with purpose is not a distraction from performance but rather a competitive advantage.
This realization led Kayla to formalize her coaching practice, enabling her to guide leaders in navigating the unique pressures of today’s corporate sector while remaining true to their aspiration to drive meaningful change. She believes that this balance is where the most powerful leadership occurs.
Aligning Values with Business Goals for Success
Kayla’s coaching centered on performance and results, reflecting what she believed to be the primary expectation for executives. However, she soon recognized that effective leadership transcends transactional outcomes; it requires developing environments that ensure long-term success for the business and its people.
This insight led her to balance hard outcomes with emotional resilience and strategic purpose. Today, corporate leaders are evaluated not just on profitability but also as agents of change. Kayla’s coaching now focuses on aligning leaders’ values with their business goals, demonstrating that purpose-driven leadership is a sustainable strategy for building resilience, loyalty and innovation while creating lasting legacies.
The Art of Leading with Integrity
Kayla has experienced the challenges of leading with purpose in high-stakes environments. She has been in the trenches—scaling companies, navigating IPOs and leading teams—while ensuring that purpose remained central to the strategy.
Her background in social impact and go-to-market strategy provides her with a unique perspective on how to integrate social good into a company’s DNA without compromising performance.
Kayla approaches each client with the understanding that every leadership journey is distinct. Many of her clients seek her not only for tactical advice but also for guidance on how to lead with integrity and make a meaningful impact. Her goal is to help them develop a leadership style that aligns their values with their business mission. She emphasizes that she does not just coach for business success; she coaches for success in building a better world.
Adapting Leadership Styles to Meet Requirements
Kayla understands that leadership is not one-size-fits-all, particularly at the C-suite level. Each executive faces unique pressures, opportunities and values. Her coaching starts with a robust understanding of their business environment and personal goals.
Some leaders need help with strategic alignment, while others focus on cultural transformations or integrating diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. For instance, she supported the CEO of a fast-growing tech company in embedding DEI practices. She adapts her strategies to meet her clients’ evolving needs, encouraging critical thinking about leadership styles.
Balancing Strategy and Authenticity in Leadership
Kayla believes effective coaching involves creating a space for leaders to discover their authentic leadership style. Rather than imposing a specific approach, she equips them with tools and frameworks to navigate challenges.
While she provides direct feedback, when necessary, she also allows clients to explore what feels authentic. Her goal is to guide leaders in asking better questions to navigate tough decisions, ultimately balancing strategies with the empowerment to shape their leadership identity in alignment with their values.
Embracing Vulnerability as a Leader
Kayla emphasizes that self-awareness is a critical yet often overlooked quality in successful C-suite leaders. Understanding their strengths and weaknesses allows leaders to surround themselves with individuals who complement their skills. Flexibility is also vital; those who can pivot quickly while keeping the bigger picture in mind thrive in today’s fast-paced corporate environment.
Effective leaders balance vision with execution, inspiring teams with a clear mission while providing the necessary tools for success. She highlights the importance of vulnerability; successful leaders admit they don’t have all the answers and create cultures that encourage learning, failure and growth.
Enhancing Emotional Intelligence for Leaders
Kayla believes emotional intelligence is essential for effective leadership. Without it, leaders may achieve short-term success but struggle to build lasting trust and loyalty. In her coaching, she enhances executives’ self-awareness, helping them understand how their behaviors affect others.
She assists leaders in identifying emotional triggers and blind spots and developing strategies for managing reactions in high-pressure situations. She emphasizes that emotional intelligence starts with self-management; by developing self-awareness and empathy, leaders can create environments that prioritize communication and trust.
Creating Safe Spaces for Executive Transformation
Kayla recognizes that resistance to change is a natural response, especially among successful leaders. When faced with reluctance, she seeks to understand the underlying fears or uncertainties.
By creating a safe environment, she encourages executives to explore their concerns, often using objective data like performance metrics or 360 review feedback to gently challenge their assumptions. She believes that addressing resistance with curiosity and openness can lead to deeper transformation and real growth opportunities.
Empowering the Next Generation of Leaders
Kayla is eager to support executives dedicated to business success and positive change. She believes coaching fosters better companies and a better world. As the CEO of a nonprofit dedicated to enhancing diversity in leadership, she uses her talent development expertise to guide organizations through DEI initiatives and digital transformation challenges.
Her focus is on promoting inclusive environments and adapting to change effectively. She also envisions evolving her role toward group-based leadership development, allowing her to scale her impact and support the next generation of leaders.
