Our Manifesto.

Real leadership is challenging and rewarding at the same time – it’s human.

It’s about seeing problems from different perspectives and knowing that even small decisions can have a big impact.

It’s about learning from the best and having the humility to relearn every day.

We understand the forces that shape business today, and the enduring power of honest, human values.

We are IESE Business School, and this is #RealLeadership.

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Become a real leader. Wherever you are on your leadership journey, we’ve got the program that’s right for you.

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I'm at C-suite level

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This Is Real Leadership Podcast.

The leaders behind the world’s best companies are more human.  In our 8-episode series we explore why.

In each episode, we talk to a world class business leader who shares candid stories and hard truths from their career.  They are joined by one of our professors, who interprets those tales into valuable business lessons we can all learn.

The result? A listen that’s full of bright ideas and sound strategies designed to empower your own leadership journey.

Listen & subscribe on:

Episode 1

3 mistakes that made me a better leader. With Elena Betés

Elena Betés (IESE MBA), founder, CEO and entrepreneur and Iñigo Gallo, IESE Professor, reveal the mistakes that made them better business leaders.

  • How to be an outsider (and love it).
  • How to use mistakes as motivation.
  • Who gets the blame?
  • How to define success on your terms.

Read the article

Episode 2

The narrative, the collaborative… And the ugly. With Geoffrey Moore

Geoffrey Moore, advisor and best-selling author (Crossing the Chasm) and Sandra Sieber, IESE Professor, discuss why narrative is such a powerful leadership tool.

  • What is the problem with collaboration?
  • How do the leadership styles of Volodymyr Zelensky, Steve Jobs and Elon Musk compare?
  • How do companies get stuck?

Read the article

Episode 3

Culture clashes and difficult decisions. With Arjen Schouten

Arjen Schouten, (IESE MBA) Co-founder and COO at Rituals, and Sebastian Reiche, IESE Professor, discuss how do you make tough calls a win-win.

  • How to manage leadership clashes
  • What is the most demanding stage of business growth?
  • How to keep a start-up culture as the company grows
  • How to adapt to different cultures

Read the article

Episode 4

How to bring your authentic self to work. With Ibukun Awosika

Ibukun Awosika, (IESE GEMBA & GCP) entrepreneur, leader, speaker and challenger and Marta Elvira, IESE Professor, discuss bringing our whole selves to work and workplaces that allow you to be authentically you.

  • Can we expect business to be better than society?
  • How to be more you
  • Authentic and aligned: when bringing your whole self to work really works
  • What is authentic leadership?

Read the article

Episode 5

Leading with joy (not fear). Productive magic with Florian Weiss

Dr. Florian Weiss, CEO of Jameda and Sandra Sieber, IESE Professor, discuss how do optimists survive.

  • How to leave space for productive magic
  • How to navigate paranoid optimism
  • How to learn from failure
  • Key leadership paradoxes

Read the article

Episode 6

Trust and productivity in a happy workplace. With Christina Janzer

Christina Janzer, Head of Research and Analytics for productivity platform Slack and Marta Elvira, IESE Professor, discuss how to build a culture of trust.

  • What metrics do you need to know to change now
  • How to break down siloes between departments and teams
  • How to stay ahead in a rapidly changing world

Read the article

Episode 7

How to make change happen. With JJ Van Oosten

Jean-Jacques (JJ) Van Oosten, serial digital transformationist and Iñigo Gallo, IESE Professor, discuss how do we create change that’s sustainable.

  • The communication skills you need to drive change
  • Common factors in all successful business transformations
  • Why do people resist change?
  • How can you help people resisting change?

Read the article

Episode 8

How to fail right. With Professors Sandra Sieber and Sebastian Reiche

Sandra Sieber and Sebastian Reiche, professors at IESE Business School, look back at some of the most human stories and the hardest truths from series one of This is Real Leadership podcast.

  • How to fail right.
  • Is leadership as easy as pie? Or Pi?
  • How to tell better stories and build stronger business cultures
  • What really is real leadership today?

Read the article

Do you want to keep up to date on the latest podcasts, leadership and career tips?

 

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#RealLeadership Stories.

It’s about helping people to work together toward greater goals, improving themselves along the way.

Watch the full short documentary here: 

This short documentary follows IESE Business School Dean Franz Heukamp as he cycles through the hills around Barcelona. He meets up with Arjen Schouten, successful entrepreneur and IESE alumnus, and Tania Gomes, a current IESE MBA student working in sustainable development. Together, they reflect on the values of authentic leaders and the path forward for making a positive impact. #RealLeadership

At the age of 9, Ousman Umar left his family and all he ever knew to pursue a better future for himself in Spain. What he didn’t know was that it would take him 5 life-threatening years to reach the city of Barcelona. Truth really is more inspiring than fiction.

What would you say about your boss if you didn't think he or she was listening? We wanted to find out.

Ignasi Cambra began playing the piano at the age of six. At 17, as he prepared to embark on a degree in business administration, he was awarded a scholarship to study piano in the U.S. He has provided an inspiring example of the human capacity to transform life’s challenges into strengths.

Leadership Content.

https://www.iese.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/practice-real-leadership.jpg

Are you a true leader? Practice real leadership

Authenticity is much more than just a fashionable word. In leadership, it corresponds to reliability: being a real leader means being a credible, honest leader who is capable of generating trust.
Read More
https://www.iese.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/power-skills-trends-leadership.jpg

Management trends for 2024: Power skills for leaders

IESE professors have used their expertise and experience to select four values-based power skills —negotiation, playfulness, fostering a shared reality and boosting decision-making — that can make a difference.
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https://www.iese.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/are-you-a-good-leader.jpg

13 questions to find out if you are a good leader

Merely by asking yourself if you are a good leader, you have already come a long way. Having the humility to question yourself is essential to show by example the importance of self-improvement.
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Toolkit for leaders

There are moments in your career, in your day-to-day life, that you need help or want to improve a specific skillset. You are looking for a guide to the world of business and the executive life. Check and download our ebooks:

8 decision-making pitfalls

Guide for Executives in a New Role

Career toolkit: Finding a job

Career plan (sheet)

Real Talk.

IESE Events.

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Apr.

MBA Application Tips
14:00 Online

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Apr.

PDG Reunion Madrid 2024
18:30 Madrid

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Apr.

April 25th - MiM Networking in London
19:00 London

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Apr.

La belleza del matrimonio: nuestra primera empresa
19:00 Barcelona
25 Apr

MBA Application Tips
14:00 Online
25 Apr

PDG Reunion Madrid 2024
18:30 Madrid
25 Apr

April 25th - MiM Networking in London
19:00 London
25 Apr

La belleza del matrimonio: nuestra primera empresa
19:00 Barcelona
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Alumni around the globe

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In the world, Financial Times ranking

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International campuses

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