Friday, October 11, 2024

Leading Through Crisis: Insights from Moses Nalocca, Founder of Upper Echelon Coaching Academy

Leaders Perception Magazine is currently running an interview series called – Leadership in Times of Crisis
Today, we had the opportunity to interview Moses Nalocca who is a Founderat Upper Echelon Coaching Academy.

Meet Moses Nalocca, an international speaker, author, and peak performance coach who has helped numerous clients achieve success by transforming their mindset and overcoming self-sabotaging beliefs. As the founder of Upper Echelon Coaching Academy, Moses shares his experience of successfully pivoting his business during the COVID-19 pandemic and offers valuable insights on leadership during a crisis. Learn about common pitfalls leaders should avoid and the importance of effective communication, empathy, and self-care.

Interviewee Name: Moses Nalocca

Company: Upper Echelon Coaching Academy

Moses Nalocca’s favourite quote: “IF not YOU Who Else?” – Moses Nalocca

The Interview

Thank you so much for joining us today! Tell us a little bit about yourself. What is your backstory?

Moses Nalocca : I am an international speaker, author, and peak performance coach. I help my clients level up in life by removing their self-sabotaging beliefs, working on their mindset, and helping them solve burning problems. I work with entrepreneurs, business leaders, and athletes to shift their perspective so they can become successful. Currently, I am on a mission to train 1,000 new coaches and trainers by 2025.
Originally from Italy, I have always had an entrepreneurial spirit. I started my first business before I went to university. In 2016, I moved to the UK with just 15 euros in my pocket and had to work as a bartender on minimum wage to make ends meet.
Starting over at the age of 30 was a daunting challenge, and it would have been easy for me to give up and return to Italy with a sense of failure. However, I refused to let circumstances define my future. I worked tirelessly to climb the ranks at the London restaurant where I was employed, leveraging my communication skills and maintaining a positive mindset.
Through hard work and perseverance, I managed to carve out a successful career as a peak performance coach. I utilized my communication skills and positive mindset to help others achieve their goals and unlock their potential. It wasn’t an easy journey, but I knew that with determination and the right mindset, I could create a fulfilling and successful path for myself.
The experience of starting from scratch taught me valuable lessons about resilience and the power of a positive mindset. It reinforced my belief that with dedication and the right mindset, anyone can overcome obstacles and build a prosperous life.
I use coaching and NLP techniques to help people all over the world create the life they want. One of my success stories is Olympic champion Ivet Goranova, who won a gold medal in women’s under-55kg karate kumite in August 2021. When I first started working with Ivet, she was unhappy with her performance and had been struggling with months of poor results. I worked with her to dramatically change her mindset and start thinking like a champion. In the run-up to Tokyo 2020, I worked with Ivet every day, helping her win Bulgaria’s first gold medal in 13 years.
I am also the author of MORE and MORE GRATITUDE, both published in 2023. MORE is a memoir that explains how I went from being a premature baby fighting for my life in Uganda to becoming the coach who transformed Bulgaria’s sporting legacy at the Tokyo Olympic Games. Through my account of my personal experiences and my insights on my own journey of self-discovery and growth, readers can learn about the mindset they need to achieve more in their own lives.
MORE GRATITUDE is a workbook that highlights the importance of gratitude and is designed to be used alongside More. It combines the elements of a gratitude journal with a written guide, which includes practical exercises to complete.
I currently live in London, UK, but I spend a lot of time working in Eastern Europe. I have had the opportunity to work closely with some of the most admired people in business and self-actualization, including Robert Kiyosaki, Gary Vaynerchuk, and Tony Robbins.

Could you please share a specific crisis situation you’ve faced as a leader and walk us through the strategies you employed to navigate through it successfully? What were the key decisions and actions you took, and what were the outcomes or lessons learned from that experience?

Moses Nalocca : During Covid I had to pivot my business from live events to online. At that time, I did not have a massive online presence.

In this transition period we had a team of 5 people that were working from my living room and remotely. One thing we realised is that they were always arguing and fighting among themselves and this was affecting the already complicated situation. It was costing us money and time.

Instead of getting into micromanaging I started offering them 30 mins a week of coaching. This was a huge turning point because they stopped fighting and working as a team.

The most important lesson was that Business is a reflection of who we are, we can’t separate and leave at home the person with his fears, emotions, challenge and then expect to perform in business. Creating an environment that would allow the team to express and feel safe and understood was a great turning point and helped us generate a revenue of 300 k in 8 months during the first lockdown.

From your observations, what common mistakes or pitfalls have you seen leaders fall into during a crisis?

Moses Nalocca : During a crisis, leaders can face numerous challenges, and there are several common mistakes or pitfalls they can fall into. Here are some examples:

1. Lack of communication: One significant mistake is a failure to communicate effectively during a crisis. Leaders may withhold information, provide insufficient updates, or not convey a clear message to stakeholders. This can lead to confusion, rumors, and a loss of trust in the leader’s ability to handle the situation.

2. Lack of empathy and emotional intelligence: During a crisis, leaders must demonstrate empathy and emotional intelligence. However, some leaders may become too focused on the logistical aspects of the crisis and neglect the emotional needs of their team or community. This can result in increased stress, disengagement, and a breakdown in morale.

3. Micromanagement: In times of crisis, leaders may feel the need to control and micromanage every aspect of the situation. excessive micromanagement can hinder autonomy, innovation, and the ability of team members to respond effectively. It can also create a bottleneck in decision-making and slow down progress.

4. Ignoring feedback and diverse perspectives: Failing to consider alternative viewpoints, expertise, and feedback from team members or external stakeholders can limit the effectiveness of decision-making and lead to missed opportunities for innovative solutions.

5. Inconsistent decision-making: Inconsistency in decision-making can be detrimental during a crisis. Leaders may make decisions that appear contradictory or lack a clear rationale, leading to confusion and distrust. Consistency, transparency, and a well-defined decision-making process are crucial to maintain confidence in leadership.

6. Neglecting self-care and burnout: Leaders often bear a heavy burden during a crisis, but they must prioritize their own well-being. Neglecting self-care can lead to burnout, diminished decision-making ability, and a negative impact on their ability to lead effectively. Leaders should model self-care practices and encourage their team members to do the same.

It’s important to note that leaders are not immune to mistakes, and facing a crisis can be an immense challenge. Recognizing these potential pitfalls can help leaders be more mindful of their actions and make better-informed decisions during difficult times.

Leaders Perception would like to thank Moses Nalocca and Upper Echelon Coaching Academy for the time dedicated to completing this interview and sharing their valuable insights with our readers!

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