Community Workshop #2: Emotional Flexibility in Leadership: How to lead ourselves and our teams in difficult situations

Session Description

Emotions directly influence decisions, communication, and how leaders respond under pressure. When they’re not recognized, they lead to automatic reactions and tension within teams.
This interactive session, inspired by Susan David’s Emotional Agility model, gives leaders a practical introduction to recognizing their emotional responses, creating inner distance, and making more mindful decisions.

The session lays the groundwork for more self-aware leadership and healthier emotional dynamics in teams.

About the Speakers

Diana Racheva, Vasya Vankova, and Aneliya Manolova are the founders of Courageous Coaches—the first coaching platform in Bulgaria that connects individuals, teams, and organizations with certified coaches and personalized learning experiences.
Their aim is for professional coaching to be valued and to deliver real impact.
Their team of certified coaches works with clients in Bulgaria, Europe, and Asia, creating transformation through connection and courageous dialogue.

Diana Racheva

Diana Racheva has over twenty years of experience leading teams, projects, and organizational transformations, focusing not only on processes and systems but on people’s growth through change.

As a Scrum Master, Enterprise Agile Coach, and consultant, she works in the areas of continuous improvement, authentic leadership, and organizational transformation, creating cultures where people feel seen, valued, and engaged.

Today, Diana is a professional coach certified by Erickson Coaching International, supporting leaders, entrepreneurs, and teams to find clarity, inner alignment, and sustainable success through conscious and courageous action.

Vasya Vankova

Vasya Vankova is an ICF-certified coach (ACC) and a professional with experience as a Scrum Master and Agile Coach. In her work, she applies a coaching approach to support leaders, teams, and organizations in achieving greater clarity, awareness, and sustainable development.

Her path in coaching began with a desire for personal growth and led through “The Art & Science of Coaching” at the Erickson International Coaching School, where she personally experienced the power of the right questions as a catalyst for lasting change.

Vasya creates a safe, supportive environment in which people broaden their perspectives, articulate what they truly want, and take realistic steps toward personal fulfillment and professional success.

Aneliya Manolova

“Every change starts with a single question: Where am I today and where do I want to go?”

Aneliya Manolova believes that it is precisely in these moments that the potential for real transformation emerges.

With over 20 years of experience in Germany and more than 10 years as an IT Project Manager at companies such as Siemens, Thomas Sabo, and Metro, she is now an ICF-certified coach (ACC), specialized in systemic coaching, with an international practice.

Aneliya is a former board member of the ICF Germany Chapter, a facilitator of group coaching programs, and a trainer of coaches. In her work, she combines coaching, neuroscience, mindfulness, and design thinking to support leaders and teams in making clear choices and taking confident action.