By JOSÉ ÁNGEL DE LA PAZ | EGADE BUSINESS SCHOOL
“You have to recognize when you don’t know something and learn fast,” said Edmundo Rodarte, CEO of Cydsa, during a new edition of C-Suite Conversations, where he shared with EGADE Business School students some of the decisions and lessons that have shaped his leadership journey across different industries.
In a conversation with Jatinder Jit Singh, Director of the EGADE Full-Time MBA, Rodarte explained that one of the defining moments of his career was accepting responsibilities in areas he did not fully understand, which forced him to learn quickly and constantly step outside his comfort zone.
Throughout his career, he said, he has tried not to settle for average results and to take on new professional challenges as a way to grow.
Another central idea in his leadership approach has been building high-performance teams. Rodarte noted that throughout his career, he has intentionally surrounded himself with people who have more knowledge or talent than he does in different areas, as this pushes the leader to prepare more and raises the team's overall performance.
In this process, he emphasized, trust and clarity of objectives are essential to achieving results.
“When you build a team, you need leadership, but the team needs to trust the leader. And trust is built through consistency: what you say is what you do. Also, everyone must be clear about where we are going and what their role is in achieving the result,” he explained.
Rodarte also reflected on decision-making in uncertain environments, particularly in industries exposed to global variables such as energy prices, exchange rates, or geopolitical tensions.
In this context, he said that leaders must make decisions even when they do not have all the information available.
He explained that, in his experience, decisions must be made based on the best information available, common sense, and experience, and that making mistakes is part of the learning process, especially at the beginning of a professional career.
During the conversation, he also shared recommendations for students preparing to take on leadership roles. Among them, he highlighted the importance of setting long-term goals, building a professional network, working as part of a team, and maintaining a mindset of continuous learning.
“When you finish your master’s degree, it’s not over. You need to keep learning, keep studying. You need to have goals and a clear purpose about why you work and where you are going,” he said.
The session took place on March 20 at EGADE Business School with students from the EGADE Full-Time MBA and the Master in Business Management, as part of C-Suite Conversations. This series connects students with business leaders to share insights on leadership, transformation, and key business trends in Mexico and around the world.
