Interview with the lecturer: Mgr. Bc. Marianna Kubušová, MBA, LL.M., ACC

Marianna Kubušová has more than eight years of experience in top-level management and knows firsthand what real legal challenges in HR look like. Throughout her career, she has managed the entire merger process of large institutions, including the transfer of employment rights and obligations and the harmonisation of payroll systems. She recently successfully defended her LL.M. degree focused on data protection, which means she always has topics like GDPR, employee monitoring, and AI in HR thoroughly covered. As a certified coach with the ACC credential (ICF), she bridges hard legal expertise with leadership psychology and helps leaders build teams that truly deliver. At ESBM, she serves as a lecturer of the Legal Aspects of HR Management module within the BBA Human Resources Management specialisation.

How would you describe your professional journey? What led you to coaching and working with strategic leadership?

My journey is a combination of the “hard” world of legislation and the “soft” world of human potential. For over eight years, I worked in leadership roles where I connected the legal aspects of HR with the real-world management of people. What led me to coaching was the realisation that even the best system will fail if a leader loses their inner stability or integrity. Today, as a certified coach, I help leaders master the psychology of influence in those moments where textbook theory ends and split-second decisions take over.

In your practice, you work with managers and leaders. What challenges do they most commonly bring to you?

Most often, we deal with managers becoming the “bottleneck” of their own company. Day-to-day operations consume the time they should be spending on strategy, they feel isolated in their role, and they face extreme pressure to perform. They come with the need to free up their hands, build a team that delivers results without their constant involvement, and find inner clarity for decision-making in critical moments, what I call the “freezing point”.

You often talk about simplifying processes and eliminating unnecessary bureaucracy in management. What can managers specifically imagine by that?

It is about removing the procedural “noise”. Instead of complex manuals, we set up clear mechanisms for managing change and delegation. The goal is not more administration, but a functional system that brings clarity back to management. The manager then no longer acts as a firefighter, but as an architect who designs the leadership structure so that the system works for them.

You help build autonomous teams. What do you consider key to enabling people to take ownership and work independently?

The key is shifting from assigning “how” to defining “what”, meaning a clear expected outcome. People will take ownership only when they have the authority, resources, and space to propose their own path to the goal. The leader plays the role of a guide who builds trust and a safe environment where independent thinking is the standard, not a risk.

What role does working with pressure and inner stability play in today’s leadership? Do you think it can be learned?

It is an absolutely essential skill. The authority of a modern leader must stem from inner calm, not from pressure. Yes, it can be learned in practice, I use neuroscience and techniques to strengthen stability in high-tension situations. It is about not letting yourself be consumed by responsibility, but maintaining a clear mind even in moments when everything is at stake.

What skills should a modern leader develop today to be successful in the long run?

Above all, executive integrity and the so-called Power Skills. This includes the ability for strategic perspective, masterful delegation, and the psychology of influence. The successful leader of today is not the one who has all the answers, but the one who can remove internal barriers for themselves and their team and act with full authenticity, without games or masks.

What fulfils and motivates you most about your work?

The moment of transformation. When I see a leader whose hands are freed up thanks to a well-designed system, and who regains their freedom and space for vision. What motivates me is connecting deep psychology with concrete business results, knowing that my work has a direct impact on the quality of life of managers and their teams.

At ESBM, you teach the Legal Aspects of HR Management module. How do you connect this topic with your practice?

I see law as a strategic framework for healthy leadership, not as a set of obstacles. In my teaching, I connect “hard” legal certainties with practical people management skills. I teach students how to use legal tools to eliminate risks and build a fair environment, which is the foundation for trust and top performance.

How do you try to pass on as much practical real-world experience to your students as possible?

I pride myself on the fact that my teaching is not just about theory. I share real case studies from my managerial and coaching practice, situations where decisions had to be made under pressure. We hold interactive discussions where we apply legal and managerial principles to specific situations that students face in their own companies.

And finally, on a personal note. How do you most enjoy spending your free time and what helps you recharge your energy?

I recharge where I can switch off my analytical mind. Movement, time in nature, and mindful rest through mindfulness are all important to me. The balance between a high work drive and quality mental hygiene is for me the foundation of long-term wellbeing, something I enjoy talking about with my clients as well.