#3 Irina Filippova: Courage Is the Career Plan

From Moscow diplomacy to a U.S. energy startup backed by BlackRock, Irina Filippova has never followed the script—and she’s not about to start now. In this episode, the COO, climate entrepreneur, and former change leadership advisor shares why courage is leadership, why linear careers are a myth, and why integrity is the only metric that matters.>>Built for Change—Literally“I’ve never inherited a job. Every role, I created from scratch.”Irina walks us through her journey from UN think tanks to BP’s rebrand to leading energy transition from the ground up—each step a reinvention by design.>>Courage ≠ Chaos“Leadership is courage. And courage means staying in integrity.”Forget the bravado. Irina breaks down why real courage isn’t about reckless risk-taking—it’s about showing up, following through, and walking away when the values don’t align.>>The Myth of the Unicorn“We glorify unicorns—and then wonder why leaders burn out.”Irina calls out the toxic myths in startup culture and shares a grounded vision for building businesses that last longer than a product cycle.>>Change Starts Inside“I thought I needed to change the world. Turns out, I needed to change myself first.”Before she could consult CEOs, Irina had to rewire her own beliefs—thanks to deep inner work at the Jung Institute in Zurich. This is change leadership with a soul.>>Electrifying a New Industry“We provide the electric fuel. You focus on logistics. Simple.”Now COO of Electrata, Irina explains her company’s mission to make clean energy logistics seamless for fleets—so the energy transition doesn’t get stuck in jargon or infrastructure nightmares.________________________Connect with Irina Filippova