What is the 'secret' ingredient that makes you an exceptional leader? 20 successful women answer

• 13 expert tips to fall well in the company

• The eight skills most valued by companies today

Long before

published 'Emotional Intelligence', which today remains the bible for dealing with others in the company for thousands of professionals (since 1995 it has sold some 7 million copies), back in 1935 an American salesman named

wrote, in what is considered one of the first self-help books in history ('How to win friends and influence people'), the following sentence:

Well, this simple sentence, at 87 years old, could crown the entrance of thousands of current companies, since it condenses in seven words a good part of the core of the philosophy that current leadership intends to guide: this is not about managing workers;

It's about managing people.

Ingredient number one: empathy

«Before there was talk of

their way of influencing others was through the

that their position granted them, 'because I said so'.

Now, the

and above all to

transforms the boss into a leader.

The role and its management have been humanized, focusing on

such as

(loyalty to the company and the team),

(the ability to transform problems into opportunities) and

(each person on the team is different, equity should prevail over equality)," explains

Director of Human Resources of the company IN2 Information Engineering.

Indeed, in the last decade leadership has turned its eyes towards qualities that are the opposite of the Wall Street-style aggressiveness that was so fashionable in the late 1980s (when 'Assault on Power', which fictionalized the meteoric rise of

was the bedside book of every Spanish manager with a certain ambition).

"That way of leading has practically disappeared," says

a partner at ÁlamoConsulting, "and has given way to other styles.

That of the

for others does exist, although he has become more collaborative;

there is also the

, who asks questions and relies on what others say;

but in the end he does what he wants;

the

(rare), and finally it is very fashionable, due to the influence of characters like

etc., the

Although true visionaries there are few.

Returning to the Carnegie spirit, Nuria Avilla distinguishes four skills that define the current Most Valued Leader: "

(a positive attitude without losing realism), a

(laughing helps to manage stress, is therapeutic and unites teams),

(we live in constant change to which we must adapt with new ideas, that also means tolerating mistakes) and, finally,

Emotions thus land in people management, but, beware, also in team management.

According to coach

who has just published 'You leave a mark' (ed. Vergara), «now we recognize the potential of

in teams.

Today it is not uncommon for companies to carry out coaching processes with their teams, and in these transformation processes commercial objectives are pursued, but they also seek to align the values ​​of people with those of the company, placing each individual in the place where you can best exploit your potential and (this was unthinkable a couple of decades ago) where you are happiest.

Ingredient number two: flexibility against uncertainty

If the flexible company understood as an organization capable of adapting to its workers, and not the other way around as in the past -because one of the certainties shared by the experts consulted is that a happy employee is more productive than an unhappy one- it is a concept that both multinationals and SMEs are betting more and more hard,

in their own leadership and

is imposed in times of uncertainty like the one we are going through, where everything changes at lightning speed.

And although the world of work, says Sandra Burgos, has retained its tendency towards authoritarianism until recently, "and it still remains in many especially traditional sectors," she points out, "today

it takes more varied forms and even has a greater

We can find teams led from a democratic style that in transition stages apply formative leadership techniques (coaching) or that, even, in decisive moments, resort to a more coercive style that allows them to make decisions quickly.

The

, adds Burgos, has ended up at the head of the race,

;

«We no longer value so much the

that bathed the environment a few years ago.

We now know that people can achieve very good performance with the right stimuli, but that teams can achieve excellence."

Ingredient number three: sustainability is transversal

Far from the reductionist vision that has been transmitted by the 'greenwashing' fever ("green marketing practice aimed at creating an illusory image of ecological responsibility", as defined by the specialized consultant Selectra),

is a concept that cuts across the entire company , which from the new paradigm includes the teams and their leaders.

«The survival of the company depends on two concepts: empathy and sustainability.

Things are sustainable when we all balance certain aspects and that is impossible without empathizing with others, those around you in the company", says

a businesswoman present on the new REDIT

.

For

, from the communication consultancy CVA, "it is no longer enough to only achieve profitability or high profits."

Hence, in the business field, the new leaders must be prepared, she explains, «to undertake changes in the management model so that, while seeking the profitability of the business, they take care of the well-being and health of their employees;

implement policies that facilitate the reconciliation of the professional, personal and family life of their teams and establish a framework of action to give back to society part of what they receive from it, through

,

and facilitating the collaboration of their team in the achievement of the

And who is that ten leader capable of guiding his team and his company on that path? Because seen from the outside, it could seem like pure science fiction.

“The main

managers need in this new era are

and

.

The first, to

and

in teams and facilitate

and

, and responsibility to

and the consequences of the decisions made,” says Cruzado.

Because in the end, he adds, what it is about is not only sustaining profitable, efficient and people-friendly companies, but also turning them "into the best companies for the world."

The leaders speak

Luisa Garcia

EUROPE PARTNER AND CEO OF LLORENTE AND CUENCA

"Authentic leadership is the one that works from personal contribution and is exercised with motivation.

because it embraces its benefits. The one that is interpersonal, humanized. The one that surrounds itself with the best possible talent and does not It is not based on hierarchies, but on an optimal management of that talent from a horizontal perspective. The one that is humble, honest and far from stereotypes. The one that is visible and active".

CARMEN FERREIRO

DIRECTOR OF ENTERTAINMENT PROGRAMS AT ATRESMEDIA TV

"Leadership is an attitude towards life.

He listens and accepts other people's ideas if they are good, delegates, trusts his team and motivates them so that everyone is their best version. He is capable of creating a ecosystem of multidisciplinary teams where everyone joins and is committed to achieving the objectives".

PATRICIA LOPEZ

FOUNDER AND CEO OF MYHIXEL

"For me, the essential thing to build my team was to

From there, a good leader has to know how to listen and have empathy. In my case, I also practice transparency in communication with my colleagues. Being a startup, we go through constant ups and downs and it is essential that everyone is aware of everything".

ELENA GARCIA ARMADA

CEO OF MARSI BIONICS

"There are three factors that for me are really key to successful leadership. The first, talent in its broadest conception. Attracting, motivating and retaining it is vital. Then, resilience. And, lastly and

You can't lead a project if you can't understand the people around you."

ROSARY SIERRA

CORPORATE BUSINESS DIRECTOR OF LINKEDIN SPAIN AND PORTUGAL

"The work paradigm has taken a 180º turn and it is up to our leaders to adapt to change to create efficient, productive and, above all, happy teams. We have to put aside the competitive culture to

Collaboration with other leaders and, above all, with our own workers.

MARIA VILLALON

BUSINESSWOMAN.

VILLALON STUDIO

"Today more than ever we need to

plan our future from an agile organizational structure that allows us to design long-term business strategies. And do it accompanied by a team that shares and projects the values ​​that forge the identity of a project".

MARIA OTAMENDI

CEO WORLD FOOTBALL SUMMIT AND BODEGAS EL GRIFO

"The new leadership puts people at the center, fostering their personal development and fostering intrapreneurship in teams. It is a way of managing with creativity, flexibility, empathy and attention to the emotional part. In this way, less hierarchical structures are achieved , more cooperative and happier".

CATALINA F. DE ANA PORTELA

CEO HIFAS DA TERRA

"To lead successfully, first you have to firmly believe in what you do and add value and, second, make use of emotional intelligence. Being able to read, understand and support the needs of each of the team members, where they shine, they feel safe and can contribute more to the company".

SIMONETTA LULLI GOMEZ

CEO OF GAMEHOUSE

"Leading is

aligned with the mission and vision of the company. You must ensure that teams have the necessary tools to take responsibility and make decisions. In GameHouse each unit, team and person assumes the 'ownership' of the projects he is involved in from start to finish.

Alicia Zurita

FOUNDER AND CEO OF LUBETS

"More than an ingredient, a balanced cocktail is needed. In my formula there is always a

and that also knows how to learn from mistakes. To achieve that team full of talent and motivation, you have to add flexibility and transparency in the processes and about the situation of the company.

VERONICA GARCIA

CEO OF RELAIS&CHATEAUX HOTEL ORFILA AND HOTEL HERITAGE MADRID

"For me, the key words when talking about leadership are to

I believe that professionals know how to do their job very well, but they need inspiration to know where to go in the long term and help in the areas that they do not reach well .

because they are beyond their responsibility or their capacity".

SARAH CORREYERO

CO-FOUNDER AND COO OF IENAI SPACE

"To be a good leader in a technology company

because if you don't you won't be able to motivate the team, you have to have been a very good technician and, most importantly, as in all companies: you have to know how to read people. people, knowing what each member of the team expects from this project, from the company".

RITA GASALLA

CEO OF GALÖW

"The new leadership is not based on authority, but on

It is capable of identifying the needs of each person, giving a new approach to work to enhance creativity and productivity and providing the right tools. It is a leadership open, empathic, inclusive, collaborative and sustainable".

SARA PATON

CEO OF ECOPLÉN AND DRYPETS

"The keys to leading a company are, mainly, having

and monitoring the teams that are involved in the project. It is essential that the CEO of the company knows 100% of the work that all the departments are doing, because it will be key in achieving the objectives".

Christine Loos

GENERAL MANAGER OF STIMULUS SPAIN

"In the current context, taking

is a fundamental element of leadership and is directly linked to the proper functioning and success of teams. Without mental health we cannot talk about many other indicators such as productivity , engagement or motivation".

ROCIO PEÑUELA

CEO AND CO-FOUNDER OF APPLERTA AND ESOLUZION

"In these times of constant movement, where the importance of now is greater than ever, companies are obliged to

I believe that this quality not only keeps companies alive, but is a quality basic for the maintenance, even, of the species".

Berenice Guerri

FOUNDER AND CEO OF GLEN BIOTECH

"The company is a living entity, and as such it must be sustainable. The happier people are, the better the company will do. A person is not going to be productive for their working life, but for their whole life. In the end it's like asking how you're doing. It's not how you're doing at work, but in your life as a whole.

PALOMA DOMINGUEZ

PARTNER AND DIRECTOR OF SATT PROJECTS

"For me it is essential

We must focus on care, because in an ecosystem where people feel confident and valued, they bring out the best of themselves. Women have given less than what we could for the impostor syndrome. We have to put an end to that. "

MIRIAM RODRIGUEZ

CEO OF GOC HEALTH CONSULTING

"Vision is the element that makes the difference.

When you visualize the objective, plotting the route by identifying milestones and barriers, stocking up well, measuring the time to destination and defining travel companions and the technology to facilitate the path becomes a transformation or a project in a simpler, almost natural process".

MARIA DIAZ-LLADO

GENERAL MANAGER OF MARSH SPAIN

The current leader must be

In addition, notable progress has been made in matters such as sustainability, in the importance of values ​​and the concept of serving others, without forgetting how important it is to take care of one's own physical and mental health, and that of our teams.

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