Self-awareness, meaning, and evolution in leadership

In the early stages of a professional career, leadership is often associated with achievement, recognition, and the need to prove one’s value. Advancing, making important decisions, and being seen as competent or influential are all part of that initial drive that pushes many people toward positions of responsibility.

 

Over time, however, some leaders discover that leadership is something more. Beyond visible success, a deeper question emerges: why do I lead?

 

That moment marks a significant transition. Leadership ceases to be focused solely on personal performance and begins to orient itself toward meaning, impact, and contribution. It is the shift from ego to purpose.

The Role of the Ego in the Early Stages of Leadership

The ego often carries a negative connotation, but in reality, it serves a necessary function in professional development. In the early stages of leadership, the desire to demonstrate capability, gain recognition, or achieve ambitious goals can be a powerful driving force.

 

The problem arises when leadership becomes stuck at that level—when the need for control, approval, or protagonism becomes the center from which decisions are made.

 

Leadership that is overly centered on the ego often manifests as:

• difficulty delegating

• resistance to acknowledging mistakes

• a constant need for validation

• limited openness to different perspectives

 

In these cases, leadership becomes more defensive than evolutionary.

Emotional Maturity: The Leader’s Turning Point

As a professional journey progresses, many leaders experience a turning point. Sometimes it comes after a major achievement, other times after a period of exhaustion, or even following a personal or professional crisis.

 

Suddenly, what once seemed sufficient no longer is. External recognition loses some of its motivating power, and a different kind of restlessness emerges: the desire for work to have deeper meaning.

 

It is at this point that leadership begins to transform. The focus shifts from individual performance to impact on people, teams, and the organization.

 

This transition is usually accompanied by greater emotional maturity. Leaders begin to observe themselves with more perspective, better understand their own motivations, and recognize that leadership is not only about directing, but also about creating meaning.

Leading from Purpose

Purpose-driven leadership does not mean giving up ambition or excellence. It means placing them within a broader framework.

 

A leader who connects with their purpose:

• makes decisions with greater internal coherence

• builds greater trust in their environment

• conveys meaning in times of uncertainty

• directs work toward something that transcends immediate results

 

Purpose acts as a compass. It does not eliminate the complexity of leadership, but it helps navigate it with greater clarity.

The Role of Self-Awareness in Leadership Maturity

The shift from ego to purpose does not happen automatically. It requires a process of personal reflection and self-awareness.

 

Throughout my experience working with executives, I have observed that leaders who move toward more mature leadership tend to ask themselves different questions than they did at the beginning of their careers.

 

Questions such as:

• What kind of leader do I truly want to be?

• What impact do I want to have on the people I work with?

• What values do I want to guide my decisions?

 

These questions do not have quick answers, but they open a space of awareness that transforms the way leadership is exercised.

A Space for Self-Reflection

I invite you to pause for a moment and reflect on these questions:

 

• What motivations have guided my leadership so far?

• Which aspects of my work give me the greatest sense of contribution?

• What kind of influence do I want to have on the people I work with through my attitude, actions, and decisions?

• If I look at my path ten years from now, what kind of leader do I want to have been?

 

Answering these questions honestly can help identify whether leadership is primarily driven by achievement or is beginning to orient toward purpose.

La entrada From Ego to Purpose: The Inner Journey of the Mature Leader se publicó primero en Meritxell Obiols.

Emotional Management, Executive Well-Being, and Sustainable Leadership

In the executive world, productivity is often associated with time management: optimized calendars, clear priorities, measurable goals. However, there is a less visible — yet deeply determining — dimension that shapes overall performance: emotional energy.

 

We don’t always underperform because we lack time. Often, we underperform because we lack presence, inner clarity, or emotional balance. Working eight hours from a place of calm is not the same as working eight hours from a place of tension.

 

Productivity, in its deepest sense, is not only a matter of organization. It is an emotional matter.

Beyond Time: Productivity as an Internal State

For decades, efficiency models have focused on external tools: planning systems, control mechanisms, productivity methodologies. But contemporary leadership reveals something essential: performance depends not only on what we do, but also on the state from which we do it.

 

Emotions influence our attention, decision-making, creativity, and relational capacity. An emotionally saturated leader may continue functioning, but at a high cost: burnout, irritability, mental fatigue, and disconnection.

 

Managing emotional productivity means understanding that energy is not infinite — and that leadership requires caring for the internal state from which it is exercised.

What Is Emotional Productivity?

Emotional productivity can be defined as the ability to sustain effective performance without sacrificing well-being, clarity, or inner balance.

 

It is not about “feeling good all the time,” but about developing a conscious relationship with the emotions that accompany leadership: pressure, responsibility, uncertainty, and high expectations.

 

An emotionally productive leader:

• Acknowledges what they feel without denying it.

• Regulates reactions before acting.

• Manages energy instead of depleting it.

• Understands the emotional impact they generate on their team.

 

Emotional productivity is not only individual — it is contagious and collectively built.

The Invisible Cost of Leading Under Tension

Many leaders maintain high external performance while internally operating in survival mode. This often shows up as:

• A constant sense of urgency

• Difficulty disconnecting

• Irritability or impatience

• Loss of perspective

• Inability to enjoy achievements

 

The issue is not high standards themselves, but the absence of emotional regulation spaces. Leadership sustained exclusively from tension gradually erodes clarity and purpose.

 

Over time, the cost is not only personal. The team, the emotional climate, and the organizational culture also pay the price.

Managing Energy Is Leading Better

A leader does not only manage tasks and decisions. They continuously manage an emotional field — their own and that of those around them.

 

One of the most relevant lessons of modern leadership is this: energy is a strategic resource.

Managing it requires asking:

• What situations drain me emotionally?

• What dynamics overload me?

• What do I need to regain clarity?

 

A leader who does not care for their energy ends up leading from exhaustion — and exhaustion is never a powerful place from which to inspire.

A Self-Reflection Exercise for Leaders

I invite you to take a brief pause. Just one minute of inner listening.

 

Ask yourself:

• From what emotional state have I been leading lately?

• Am I acting from calm or from urgency?

• What emotion repeats in my days: pressure, enthusiasm, fatigue, frustration?

• What do I need to restore my emotional energy?

 

These questions are not meant to generate perfect answers, but awareness. Because only through awareness can we regulate and transform.

La entrada Emotional Productivity: How to Manage Your Energy (and Your Team’s) se publicó primero en Meritxell Obiols.

These types of training sessions are always enriching, but even more so when you notice a clear shift in focus: a strong commitment to people-centered leadership, beyond just results. The leaders I worked with face significant challenges every day, in demanding contexts and constantly changing environments.

And yet, they have demonstrated an exemplary attitude toward growth, continuous improvement, and the development of new skills. It was especially rewarding to see how, even with years of experience, they continue to show openness, commitment, and a genuine desire to keep evolving as human, conscious, and strategic leaders.

Supporting organizations that embrace more empathetic and sustainable leadership, like CaixaBank is doing, is truly a pleasure. Thank you for your trust.

#ConsciousLeadership #ExecutiveCoaching #LeadershipDevelopment #LeadershipTraining #HumanOrganizations #TeamManagement #OrganizationalHealth

La entrada Conscious Leadership in Action: CaixaBank’s Executive Program se publicó primero en Meritxell Obiols.

On June 7th, I had the privilege of participating in the Madrid Book Fair, signing copies of Revolución Soft. Preparing Leaders for a Changing World (Editorial Síntesis). Beyond the excitement of sharing this book with readers, the day served as a reminder of the power of in-person encounters to spark conversation, build community, and share a collective purpose.

Revolución Soft was born from a clear intention: to explore what future-ready leadership looks like. We talk about emotional intelligence, generational diversity, people management, and above all, the urgent need for a profound cultural transformation—one that starts with those who lead today. This book invites us to reexamine our habits, broaden our perspective, and lead with awareness, empathy, and values.

During the signing, I was lucky to be joined by our wonderful editor Paula Carrillo, and to share space with authors I deeply admire:

César Fernández Llano, PhD, a leading voice in the field of coaching.
Vivian Acosta and Susana Pérez de Vries, authors of the latest release in the Coaching Collection by Editorial Síntesis—a collection I am honored to direct.

The conversations at booth 197 were far more than brief exchanges between author and reader. They were shared reflections, moments of collective insight, and enthusiastic support for a new, more human, sustainable, and conscious style of leadership.

Thank you to everyone who stopped by, asked a question, shared a thought—or simply a smile. And thank you to those who continue to believe that knowledge is not an end, but a means to transform realities and shape possible futures.

We keep sharing ideas that transform.
Let’s keep meeting—on and off the page.

La entrada The Madrid Book Fair: A Gathering for the Future of Leadership se publicó primero en Meritxell Obiols.

In my practice, I combine three fundamental pillars:

Emotional intelligence: to manage emotions in high-pressure situations, improve empathy and build strong relationships.
Conscious leadership: to develop a clear and authentic vision that inspires confidence in the team.
Customized tools: designed to enhance specific skills, from communication to strategic decision making.

The coaching I offer not only addresses immediate challenges, but seeks to generate a deep and sustainable transformation in the leaders who trust me. Because leading is not just about achieving goals; it is about making a difference in how we achieve them and how we grow in the process.

What leadership skills or challenges would you like to improve in 2025? Share your ideas in the comments.

#coachingleadership #consciousleadership #emotionalintelligence #managementskills #leadershipdevelopment #professionalgrowth #leadership #professionalcoaching #sustainable development

La entrada Purposeful leadership coaching: three pillars for real transformation se publicó primero en Meritxell Obiols.

Effective leadership is not something that is improvised; it is a continuous process of learning and development. This year, organizations will especially value leaders who excel in:

Emotional management:

Knowing how to respond calmly under pressure, making sound decisions at critical moments and being an example of balance for the team.

Effective communication:

Listening, inspiring and connecting with people. Clear and authentic communication builds trust and motivates teams.

Strategic adaptability:

In a changing environment, flexibility is not an option, it is a necessity. Being able to turn challenges into opportunities will make all the difference.

My coaching approach is designed to help you develop these competencies in a customized way. It’s not just about learning them, but integrating them to lead with authenticity and confidence.

What skills do you think will be essential to lead successfully in 2025? Share your perspective

#ConsciousLeadership #ManagementSkills #ProfessionalCoaching #LeadershipGrowth #TeamManagement #PersonalTransformation #EmotionalIntelligence #Adaptability #EffectiveCommunication #Leadership2024

La entrada Leading in 2025: the 3 human skills that will make a difference se publicó primero en Meritxell Obiols.

Between inspiring keynotes and transformational sessions, I had the privilege of delivering 4 coaching sessions in English. Watching leaders discover their potential in real time was simply magical.

What impacted me the most:

• The collective energy of 10,000+ women leaders.
• Sessions on navigating new work environments
• Talks on AI and the future of work

As a coach, I came away refreshed and with fresh tools to empower my clients. And you, how do you invest in your development as a leader?

La entrada I celebrated coaching sessions in English at the Pennsylvania Conference for Woman 2024 se publicó primero en Meritxell Obiols.