Behind Closed Doors: How High-Stakes Decisions Really Get Made with Zarina Bakenova

Most people only see the final decision. They don’t see the pressure behind it. The competing agendas. The negotiations. The personalities involved. Or the human side of power. In this episode, we speak with Zarina Bakenova — executive leader, board director, and former senior government & external relations executive across organisations including Mastercard, Shell, and major international ventures in Central Asia. We explore: • how high-stakes decisions actually get made • what happens behind closed doors between business and government • influence, negotiation, and stakeholder management • executive presence under pressure • being underestimated in leadership environments • why preparation matters more than confidence alone A grounded conversation about leadership, complexity, pressure, and the reality behind important decisions. Guest: Zarina Bakenova LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zarina-bakenova-a772b73/ Referenced in this episode: “Lean In” by Sheryl Sandberg Hosts: Anastasija Lynch https://www.linkedin.com/in/anastasija-lynch-coach/ Khurshid Zaynutdinov https://www.linkedin.com/in/khurshidz/ Beyond the Noise Podcast