{"id":6525,"date":"2024-09-26T07:12:35","date_gmt":"2024-09-26T07:12:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.iese.edu\/standout\/?p=6525"},"modified":"2024-10-09T11:04:59","modified_gmt":"2024-10-09T11:04:59","slug":"excellent-leader-teresa-perales-valentin-fuster","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.iese.edu\/standout\/excellent-leader-teresa-perales-valentin-fuster\/","title":{"rendered":"Leadership beyond achievements: Lessons from Teresa Perales and Valent\u00edn Fuster"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1559140963143{margin-top: 0px !important;margin-bottom: 0px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;}”][vc_column css=”.vc_custom_1559216895048{margin-top: 0px !important;margin-bottom: 0px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;}”][vc_column_text css=”” css_animation=”bottom-to-top”]What do a world-renowned cardiologist and a Paralympic swimmer with countless international podiums have in common? Valent\u00edn Fuster and Teresa Perales embody a type of leadership that goes beyond visible achievements. Both represent an integral approach to leadership, built on three pillars: Being, Becoming, and Recognizing<\/em>. From self-awareness to their impact on others, their lessons invite us to reflect on what it truly means to lead.<\/p>\n

BEING: Leadership begins with authenticity<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Being a leader isn\u2019t about holding a position of power. It\u2019s about having a clear understanding of who you are, what your values are, and how you relate to others. Both Fuster and Perales agree that to lead, you must first know how to lead yourself.<\/p>\n

Valent\u00edn Fuster, one of the most respected cardiologists in the world, explains it clearly: \u201cI don\u2019t believe you can be a good leader if you don\u2019t like people, if you don\u2019t develop empathy, and if you don\u2019t work as part of a team.\u201d<\/strong> According to him, leadership isn\u2019t imposed; it\u2019s built with people. \u201cYou lead by example,\u201d<\/strong> Fuster states. If his team starts working at five in the morning, so does he. For Fuster, leadership is first a matter of integrity and closeness<\/strong>, not about dictating orders from a distant office.<\/p>\n

Teresa Perales, Spain\u2019s most decorated Paralympic athlete, speaks from a place of resilience. Her neuropathy left her in a wheelchair at 19, but that didn\u2019t stop her from moving forward. Perales emphasizes the importance of not being defeated by circumstances. \u201cYou begin to fail when you stop trying,\u201d<\/strong> she says. For her, being a leader means facing challenges without fear of failure, understanding that success starts with a commitment to yourself<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

BECOMING: Leaders are forged through effort and perseverance<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Leadership is not a starting point but a journey of growth and constant development. Fuster and Perales are prime examples of how leaders are shaped by daily work, continuous learning, and the ability to overcome obstacles.<\/p>\n

Fuster, who leads teams in both Madrid and New York and has surpassed the age of 80 while maintaining an intense work routine, insists that surrounding yourself with people who are better than you is key<\/strong>. \u201cSuccess is about achieving what you can truly accomplish and surrounding yourself with professionals who are better than you,\u201d<\/strong> he says. For him, being a leader means accepting that you don\u2019t know everything but being willing to learn every day.<\/p>\n

In Perales\u2019 case, the idea of becoming<\/em> a leader is intrinsically linked to personal overcoming. After two decades of competition, a shoulder dislocation prevented her from moving her left arm, significantly hindering her performance in the water. However, Perales didn\u2019t let this limitation stop her. She learned to swim with just one arm and, in record time, prepared to compete in the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games<\/strong>, where she won yet another medal. For her, leadership means adapting to circumstances without excuses: \u201cNo two athletes are the same, and leadership must adapt to those differences.\u201d<\/strong>[\/vc_column_text]

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