Throughout my career, I’ve realized that leadership isn’t a destination, but a process of constant transformation. Being a leader goes far beyond assuming a management position; it’s about learning to deal with people, with dilemmas, with one’s own vulnerability, and, above all, with the responsibility of inspiring and developing others.

This article stems from my practical experience—mistakes, successes, learnings, and reflections—and from the desire to share the stages I’ve experienced as a leader, the pillars I consider essential, and the challenges that continue to shape me daily.

Stages of a Leader’s Development

Every leader follows a path that, in my view, can be divided into three main phases:

1. Leading Yourself – The first step is to develop discipline, self-awareness, and emotional intelligence. Before inspiring others, it’s necessary to understand our own strengths and limitations.

2. Leading small teams – The challenge arises of trusting, delegating, and learning that the collective surpasses the individual. Here, I abandoned the “I do it best” mentality to discover the power of “we do it together.”

3. Leading at scale – When the team grows or we begin to lead other leaders, the role changes: it stops being simply executing and becomes strategically guiding, providing purpose, and sustaining an organizational culture.

Each transition requires letting go of old certainties to adopt new skills—and this is never simple.

Pillars of Leadership

In practice, I’ve realized that some fundamentals remain unchanged, regardless of the team size or phase:

• Vision and purpose: clarity about where we want to go.

• Example and integrity: consistency between words and actions.

• Empathy and emotional intelligence: understanding people at different stages of their lives.

• People development: investing in the team’s growth beyond immediate results.

• Communication: the foundation for aligning, inspiring, and building trust.

These pillars serve as foundations: without them, any leadership structure becomes unstable.

Leadership Challenges and Dilemmas

The journey, however, is far from linear. Some dilemmas are inevitable:

• Delegating or controlling: how closely should we monitor without stifling autonomy?

• Short-term vs. long-term: prioritizing immediate deliverables without losing sight of team development.

• Being accessible vs. maintaining authority: how can we balance closeness and respect?

• Work vs. personal life: how can we be available to the team without sacrificing family and well-being?

In my experience, every choice involves risks. And often there is no right answer, only the decision most consistent with the values ​​I uphold.

Communication as a Core Tool

I’ve discovered that leading is, essentially, communicating. Not just talking, but actively listening. Communication is about giving feedback, but also being open to receiving it. It’s about explaining the strategy clearly, but also knowing how to adapt the message to the audience.

Critical moments have shown that a misunderstanding can lead to frustration, while an honest conversation can transform relationships and results.

People Development

One of a leader’s greatest responsibilities is to transform potential into results. This requires:

• Understanding that each person learns and is motivated differently.

• Providing feedback that guides, not just corrects.

• Creating opportunities for the team to take on new challenges.

More than delivering goals, I realized that my role is to develop professionals prepared to go further, even assuming leadership positions. A leader who doesn’t develop new leaders limits the organization’s growth.

Emotional Intelligence in Practice

Among all competencies, perhaps the most difficult is emotional intelligence. It requires:

• Self-awareness: recognizing when stress or anxiety is taking over.

• Self-control: deciding not to react impulsively.

• Empathy: understanding that each team member carries invisible challenges.

• Motivation: Maintaining energy, even in the face of pressure and uncertainty.

Crisis situations have shown that technical knowledge is not enough: it is calm and emotional clarity that sustain the team’s confidence.

Conclusion

Leadership is not a title, but a journey of constant evolution. There is no ready-made formula: each leader builds their path based on unique experiences, dilemmas faced, and choices made.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that leadership requires humility to acknowledge mistakes, courage to make difficult decisions, and generosity to invest in the growth of others.

And, in the end, the question that remains for each of us is: what kind of leader do we want to be remembered for having been?