I was in one of these moments, wondering what have I done of my professional life and wondering why things are happening as they are. More than this, I was trying to find answers for questions that I am sure no one has answers for, as “Why at this stage of my career I am having to face challenges like I am doing” “Is this taking me any longer in my future or is this blocking me for further steps personally?” “Is there anything that I am doing result of Karma, so if I have to learn, what is that I have to focus on?”
Well, I consider myself very lucky professionally, I had all sorts of challenges in my career.
As a leader, I had the chance to live different experiences… Companies which were going through changes, where finding opportunities was easy and added to this, having a good team with good strategy lead us to be seen well. Or country which had good results, but with a fearful team, without motivation and just with the right focus working with the potential and passion of the team, believing in the team and listening to them the results were incredible!
But the questions started to raise when suddenly I takeover a great team, with great results, with noble people who has built history, a team who has put together all qualities one look in an organisation, and the results start not to come as a consequence of external elements one can not control… What to do when everyone is giving their best, everyone is fighting for each objective, everybody is so committed that one thanks God everyday for the team and still the results are not coming and finally there is no right decision to bring back results. What to do when the right decision is the less worse decision… When the real right decision is to adapt to the new reality one does not see clearly? …and by the end the right decision is to let go of people you respect and you are very glad to be honoured with their presence….
This happened to many of us companies during the last 2 years, we saw colleagues who we would give any salary in any other country to have the privilege to work with, having to leave our companies… We have faced situations in which we cried after a business review when there was no right solution to bring back the business, but there was only right answers to fundamental questions which we did not want to be answerer, or pure instinct…. But by the end, if the decision is to stay as a believer and give all our efforts to bet on the country, and in all existing potential, how to do it??? Many times the answer was not exactly as one wants, nor is the implementation…
So, why being good leaders here means doing everything one is not prepared academically to do, or more, one does not want to be psychologically prepared to do, as this would be the opposite of what leaders sign for???
Some people asked me if I have ever wondered why I am here with all the difficult decisions and challenges, if I was always a good person and fought for people and always believed that what you do, you will receive back, I should be experiencing a nice Dharma, not a Karma… Why do I have to lead this period of my company and be the one to take tough decisions? Why do I have to be a leader that will be hated eventually and either bosses will see you as too emotional and employees will see you as the reason why the history is being “destroyed”???
After lots, lots of thought I had an insight, and I am so so proud and happy, everything depends always on the perspective you choose to take… Here is my choice;
I understood now, THIS is my Dharma, everything I prayed for is happening… If I see all the employees my company had when I arrived and the ones are working now, how do I see them??
I see these colleagues as brave warriors who taught me a lot, who built the company, who represent each value that had been the brick after brick which has grown up to be this Venezuelan foundation of our affiliate…
I love each of my colleagues who worked with us, I am not ashamed to say that I fought what I needed to keep this foundation, I am emotionally involved with this country and with these team, I also am not ashamed to tell that I have good guides that brought me to solid soil, reality and help me to take the right decisions at the right moment…
But the most important consideration I am making is;
I am living a Dharma, a gift and not a punishment, EXACTLY for having been good and for having taken the right decisions in the past, focused on people on goodness, with all my heart and soul I am here today… The love I have for this people from my company, brought me to this conclusion – I would not choose anyone else than myself to take the decisions and to have the right team to implement them… I know from the depth of my soul that I do everything to my people, to Venezuela, and also I know that I do love, adore my team, each one who is still in the company and who left, as well as I love this country…
I understood – I am the right person to be here…. I am proud of having done so well my work in the past, for having done so well to people and countries which I lived that I was “selected” by the universe to be here right now to lead this noble organisation and to be the one to have the chance to guide this team through this so special part of the history we are making, at any time we were part of it….
If I have to choose again, I would do everything again… I know that now I might not be recognised and I might have many bad feelings towards me, but I am sure that in 10 years, when people look back, they will understand, and everyone will understand that the attitude chosen at a given moment will dictate our futures, our destiny… I choose to stay… I choose to be the one to guide the people I love, I chose to be one to hold hands at bad or good moments, I choose to the one to be messenger of good or bad news, but I choose to stay side by side with my team… I choose to be the one here for my team! …finally they have been here for me…
With all difficult decisions, with all difficult implementations, with all the sorrow and with all the learnings.
If I had the chance, I would not change anything, I would only ask to be able to realize earlier what a gift it is to be in Venezuela with this team for the last 3 years, and be the one learning and finding the real meaning of leading a team from our souls….
I thank the universe, God to have sent me to Venezuela almost 5 years ago, I would definitely do all again…