Without a doubt, most people today prepare and acquire technical, university, or other knowledge to advance professionally, whether in the corporate world, family businesses, or personal ventures.

As we acquire more responsibilities, we advance through the stages and become part of a team, until we eventually lead one. In my personal case, I had the opportunity to lead a team for the first time at age 27 in an automotive company, made up of four people, including myself.

Later, similar experiences would follow in the banking and retail sectors, where the largest and most diverse team consisted of more than thirteen people, in distant physical locations, including locations in provincial cities. After my time in the corporate world, I moved on to work for the family business and had a team of four people again, the latter before the 2020 COVID pandemic.

Looking back, I want to share some lessons that may be useful to young and not-so-young professionals like myself. It’s never too late to learn, as my first boss at a multinational food company told me back in 1992: “Hugo, you’ll continue learning something new every day until the last day of your life.”

In that sense, and after more failures than successes, I’ll describe what worked for me. These are simple things, but they require discipline.

Listening: Which is not the same as hearing, deploying the senses of sight and hearing without interruptions of any kind. These days, especially with cell phones.

Getting to know: each member of your team, beyond work, on a personal level, their dreams, desires, and also their frustrations. Give them the opportunity to get to know you on the same level.

Lead: With the right words, but above all with actions, which speak of your consistency (words and actions in the same direction).

Communicate: The why and the wherefore of things. I assure you, this will give meaning and purpose to your team.

Sacrifice and Commitment: Working together, where everyone is important and relevant, setting an example with the highest level of effort.

Finally, and no less important, lead with your heart; you’ll see that it has a multiplying effect.

I’ll leave you with two phrases that will surely help you reflect on this topic.

• Let us be wise in our actions, for intelligence, experience, common sense, and good judgment come together. (Paraphrasing Proverbs 8:12)
• Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens. (Jimi Hendrix)

To close this article, let us remember that our greatest endeavor is our families, where each one plays an important role in producing better citizens and, consequently, a better country.

Take heart, and do not give up. Let us keep rowing against the current and into the deep!