The banking sector rarely breeds revolutionaries in human consciousness, yet Jelena Vuletić has shattered that expectation entirely. As the first ICF-certified coach in Montenegro and a sitting Management Board member for Risks at Hipotekarna Bank, she represents a paradigm shift in leadership development—one where spreadsheets coexist with nervous system regulation, and strategic decisions emerge from embodied wisdom rather than pure analytical thinking.
The Dual-Brain Revolution
After three decades navigating the high-stakes world of banking, Vuletić discovered what traditional executive training missed: true leadership doesn’t live in the head alone. “Years of strategic thinking in banking sharpened my logic and decision-making, while my deep dive into somatic and transformational coaching opened up space for empathy, embodiment, and intuitive presence,” she explains. This integration of what she calls “left and right cerebral hemispheres” has become the cornerstone of her transformative approach.
Her company, Balance2Business, established in 2019 and operating globally from Podgorica, Montenegro, emerged from this revelation. The mission is deceptively simple yet profound: helping leaders find their unique balance between performance and wellbeing, ambition and self-awareness.
When Banking Meets Body Wisdom
Vuletić’s dual role as banking executive and somatic coach isn’t a balancing act—it’s strategic integration. “I don’t strive for balance in the conventional sense, I strive for integration,” she notes. “Each role feeds the other, and that synergy is what sustains me.”
In boardrooms, she brings coaching-style leadership that encourages dialogue and trust. In coaching sessions, her executive experience provides strategic clarity that grounds theoretical concepts in real-world pressure. Having coached over 300 clients, she’s identified universal leadership challenges: navigating uncertainty, managing emotional reactivity under pressure, and leading diverse teams with both clarity and compassion.
The Science of Embodied Leadership
What sets Vuletić apart is her somatic coaching methodology—recognizing that posture, breath, and body language communicate volumes before words are spoken. “By helping leaders become aware of bodily patterns—tightness, collapse, restlessness—they can begin to recognize how their nervous system influences their choices,” she explains.
Her upcoming Polyvagal Academy Balkans represents the next evolution of this approach, bridging neuroscience with leadership through nervous system-informed practices. It’s part of her broader vision where embodiment, systemic thinking, and compassion in action define future-ready leadership.
Measuring Transformation Beyond Metrics
Success in Vuletić’s world isn’t measured solely by KPIs. She looks for sustained behavioral shifts, emotional intelligence growth, and deeper alignment between values and actions. One client story exemplifies this approach: a senior leader came feeling burned out and disconnected. Through cultivating empathy and redefining boundaries, they not only improved team cohesion but exceeded performance benchmarks while reporting greater personal wellbeing.
“Values are not abstract,” Vuletić emphasizes. “They become visible in team behaviors, culture, and bottom-line results.”
The Future of Leadership Development
As 2025 approaches, Vuletić is expanding her impact through multiple initiatives. The eighth generation of her Student Business Hub program has now influenced over 190 young professionals. Her “Coaching Competencies for Managers – powered by somatic” program integrates coaching principles with somatic intelligence, while “Leadership. Here and Now.” offers group coaching rooted in somatic leadership.
For aspiring coaches, her advice is grounded in authenticity: “Start with deep self-work. Know your values, your wounds, your blind spots. Don’t rush. Earn trust. Let your impact speak louder than your marketing.”
Leading the Conscious Revolution
Vuletić’s pioneering role as Montenegro’s first ICF-certified coach carries both pride and responsibility—elevating coaching standards regionally while inspiring conscious leadership. Her vision extends beyond individual transformation to systemic change, where future-ready leaders embody what she calls “inner agility”: embodied presence, systemic thinking, curiosity over certainty, and courageous empathy.
In a world demanding adaptability and consciousness, Jelena Vuletić isn’t just coaching leaders—she’s architecting a new paradigm where business excellence and human wisdom finally converge.
