294. Your Next Leadership Chapter - Federico Malatesta

294. Your Next Leadership Chapter - Federico Malatesta

From IDEAS+LEADERS by Dr Elena Paweta

April 20, 2026 · 32 min · Episode 294

About this episode

In this episode, Federico Malatesta discusses the complexities of leadership and identity during transitions.

In episode 294 of the IDEAS+LEADERS Podcast, I’m joined by Federico Malatesta, founder of FM Transformational Coaching, executive and transformational coach, and former CIO of a $40B energy portfolio. Today, Federico works with executives and high-achievers navigating complex transitions, helping them make sense of uncertainty, understand real trade-offs, and act with intention when the old story no longer fits. We explore what happens when leadership is no longer about having the right answers, why many of the frameworks we rely on fail in real life, and how identity, context, and decision-making shift in moments of transition. In this episode, we discuss: Why leadership frameworks often break down in complex situations What it means to read context instead of chasing certainty What happens when the story you’ve been telling about yourself no longer works The myth of the “authentic self” and why it can be misleading Why midlife is a necessary redesign rather than a breakdown How horses can reveal stress patterns and leadership blind spots Tune in for a reflective and insightful conversation on leadership, identity, and navigating complexity with intention. You can connect with…

People in this episode

Host: Dr Elena Paweta

Guest: Federico Malatesta

Topics covered

  • leadership
  • transitions
  • identity
  • decision-making
  • complexity

Keywords

  • leadership frameworks
  • context reading
  • authentic self
  • midlife redesign
  • stress patterns

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: FM Transformational Coaching, Apple, Spotify

More episodes of IDEAS+LEADERS

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the IDEAS+LEADERS podcast page.