Lead on Alberto Domínguez

Transformational Leadership

Thu, 06 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Talking about leadership is always relevant. Every day there’s news that makes us think about leaders and their role in shaping our reality. Leadership is a subject I’m passionate about, and transformational leadership in particular. I’m certain that every single person, without exception, has the potential to lead — some take advantage of it, some develop it, some avoid tapping into it, and some simply don’t know they have it.

More Than Ideas: How to Turn Creativity into Organizational Innovation

Fri, 15 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000

A few weeks ago, in a company-wide presentation, the CEO talked about the value of creativity. Using examples from this year’s projects, he laid out how creativity had been essential to making a difference in our work. Beyond how inspiring the message was, my own thoughts kept circling around the challenge of turning that “creativity” into real, tangible innovation.

We probably all have our own examples of creative solutions to problems and opportunities. But going from anecdotes to an innovative organizational culture is a very different thing. Creativity and innovation raise at least two questions — questions that kept spinning in my head all through the CEO’s presentation:

Artificial Intelligence and Its Impact on the Workplace

Thu, 21 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0000

What is artificial intelligence, or AI? Why does everyone suddenly talk about it? Is it true it’s going to end many people’s jobs? It’s natural for humans to feel some fear in the face of change — a small sense of threat that can affect our perceived well-being (that’s at least what we talk about in my Change Management classes). Still, it’s worth clearing away some of the hype and reflecting on the future.

Leaders and Bosses - The Battle That Never Was

Thu, 06 Jul 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Let’s get straight to the point: even though social media loves comparisons between leaders and bosses, the truth is they’re pure garbage. Leadership is one thing, and being a boss is another. You can be a leader without being a boss, a boss without being a leader, both, or neither. So let’s cut the nonsense and look at why comparing them is like comparing tropical pears to artificial turf.

Leaders and Leadership

By definition, leadership exists because there are one or more followers. Leaders only exist if there are followers. There’s no such thing as a born leader without followers. Leadership is situational - it happens within a particular context that offers an opportunity to lead.

The Challenge of Leadership - Getting the Basics Right

Fri, 30 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0000

I’ve had this idea running around my head for a while now: writing about leadership. Not that I consider myself a leadership guru, but I think there’s something worth sharing in my own story about the real challenges of leading. From a programmer at heart with some talent - or so I like to believe - I went on to found and run companies, start ventures, and lead nonprofit organizations. Something unexpected, considering that from a very young age I felt a deep passion for programming, and my career choice was, to put it mildly, extremely simple.

Burnout: The Responsibility a Leader Can't Delegate to the Team

Wed, 25 Jan 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Burnout has been a hot topic lately. It comes up every time a high-profile leader breaks down in public: Jacinda Ardern’s resignation as Prime Minister of New Zealand, or, years earlier, former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder admitting the same thing. No matter how popular or simple a job may look, how big a team you have under you, or how much power or money you’ve accumulated, exhaustion doesn’t discriminate.

How Do You Resolve Conflict on Your Team?

Thu, 08 Apr 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Let’s be honest, all of us, without exception, have had to deal with conflict at work and in our personal lives. It’s an inevitable part of social and professional dynamics. So why not learn to resolve conflict at work, and with the teams we interact with?

Part of a good project manager’s job is managing the unexpected. Funnily enough, we never expect a conflict - though I know a few people who show up at the office as if they wanted to “start a war” XD.

Seven Critical Qualities of a Good Project Manager

Tue, 18 Feb 2020 00:00:00 +0000

A few days ago, a group of friends and I were talking about project direction. And to be honest, we were talking specifically about project managers - the most commonly used term in Colombia - and their performance. The discussion, beyond the job title, was about which qualities a project manager needs to be successful.

Without focusing on any particular company, a job description, or a certification, we all agreed it wasn’t easy to find good project managers. And, paradoxically, it seemed unbelievable to us that this was the case, since we also considered these qualities as basic as good reading comprehension or being able to write a decent email.

A Reflection on the Agile Coach and Other Demons

Tue, 04 Feb 2020 00:00:00 +0000

I’ve taken a few days to write this reflection on one of the perversions of our times. The Agile Coach who’s nothing more than a smooth talker or a snake-oil salesman. I can’t lie about it, that’s what I think. Agile Coaches have turned into a kind of cheerleader who knows a few pretty games with post-its, learns things like “happiness indicators” from a book, and doesn’t solve the business’s actual needs. Something like a Hippie Agile Coach.