Leading with Cultura

Lately, I’ve been talking a lot about my experience as a Latina in corporate spaces. When I look back at my 25+ year career, I can’t help but feel like I should have taken up more space, advocated for myself more, and stepped into my power more fully. The truth is I didn’t have coaches or mentors to help me navigate these spaces and it showed. I was often dismissed by my managers when I asked for promotions and not given quality feedback to make me a better team member and colleague.

En su casa la conocen

Soy hija de Brooklyn and Puerto Rico, the youngest of 4 sisters, and a big time extrovert. I like bright colors, big earrings, and moving my body. I eat well, get lots of rest, and take my vitamins every day. I listen to public radio, love Frank Sinatra music, and look forward to visiting new cities. I have been a podcast guest over 25 times and do public speaking for a living. One of my favorite things to eat for breakfast is gluten free toast with homemade jam. I never miss my mid-morning cafecito.

I worked in corporate spaces, mostly financial services and tech, for over 25 years. I started my career as an engineer and worked my way up the corporate ladder by working hard and keeping my head down. Looking back, I wish I would have kept my head up to better connect with the people around me. It would have enabled me to seek help during times when I was unsure how to take the next step in my career or even what that step should be.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s start from the beginning.

En boca cerrada no entran moscas

One lesson I learned early on in life was to remain silent to avoid unpleasant situations. As a young girl, my mother would use this dicho to stop me from talking back to my teachers. This dicho also came up if I accidentally said something publicly that was actually a private family matter (i.e la ropa sucia se lava en la casa). So it was no surprise by the time I started my professional career that I would choose to remain silent if I felt my thoughts might offend someone or were inappropriate for the setting I was in. This mindset stopped me from asking for more money, holding others to account for promotions, and disagreeing on the best way to close a deal with a customer. Even though it was challenging, I realized I needed to abandon this belief to embrace my full potential as a leader.

Santo que no me quiere con no rezarle basta

Another key lesson from my journey: stop worrying about being liked by everyone. Even as I tried to build my career and reputation, I was very concerned with getting along with everyone. I used to think that being agreeable was essential for maintaining a good reputation.

What I discovered is that agreeable people are not usually management material. If you want to move up the corporate ladder, offering a different point of view, with solid supporting data, is often appreciated and respected by other people.

Eventually, I also discovered that some people are not going to like you no matter what you say or do. Oftentimes, the reason they don’t like you is not even about you. It’s about them. When I learned to let go of the desire to be liked and admired, I learned to value my own opinions and advocate for myself more.?

My mother always used to say “santo que no me quiere con no rezarle basta” and I have to admit, at first it did not resonate with me. Once I let go of the desire to be everyone’s favorite person at work, I grew to really love this dicho.?

I learned to spend less time trying to get people to think about me in a certain way and I showed up more authentically. Instead of being someone that contorted herself to what everyone wanted, I was someone who showed up unapologetically. It was a total game changer.

El que no coge consejos no llega a viejo

I’ve never been good at taking advice from others. Maybe it has something to do with being the youngest sister and wanting to figure things out on my own. And yet, along the way, I realized that I could go further with the help of others.

I’ve had managers coach me after a customer meeting to help me get better at my craft. Other managers and colleagues have used one-on-one meetings to share something I could have done better or differently. Not all feedback is good feedback. But some of it can be great.

My work has almost always been better when I’ve been open to feedback. I recently contributed a chapter to a multi-author book project and received feedback through the editing process. While I did not accept all the recommended changes to my work - the edits I took to heart and reflected on - made my chapter better.?

They say feedback is a gift. It’s in that spirit that I’ve learned to be open to receiving constructive feedback. One thing that’s been especially helpful to me is being clear on the values that guide me. When I consider the advice of others, I always look at it through the lens of my mission and purpose.?

Hablando se entienden la gente

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve used this dicho with customers and colleagues. Being a good communicator is key to self-advocacy, understanding the perspective of others, getting to the bottom line, and more.?

One way I have found to be a good communicator is to be curious. Why do you feel that way? Tell me more about why you say that? Is that the outcome you were hoping for? Asking questions is a great way to connect with others more deeply and get a temperature check on how they might be feeling.?

Whenever I sense frustration in others, I use curiosity as my secret weapon to understand what might be going on and how to get things back on track. I’ve learned to be brave and bold in this regard. Most people will shy away from difficult conversations or ignore the elephant in the room. You can really differentiate yourself by being the person who leans into tough conversations with genuine curiosity.

Ya te puedes casar

Amigas and amigos, I’m grateful to have the opportunity to share my learnings with you here. I can say with certainty that being a leader goes far beyond running meetings or calling the shots. What you wear to work, your shade of lipstick, and the volume of your voice are small potatoes compared to what really matters.

True leadership requires profound self-awareness, the courage to speak up, the ability to disregard the need for approval, openness to advice, and a deep connection with others.

Keep reaching for the stars! Let our cultura guide you. Trust yourself and believe in your ability to achieve great things.