By José Ángel de la Paz

For some years now, leadership has been in crisis, due to organizations' inability to adapt to constant change and uncertainty, which has been heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic, says Salvador Alva.

“Leaders, who can inspire an organization and take it far beyond its comfort zone, are scarce,” said the president of Tecnológico de Monterrey,

In the webinar “Sensitive leadership to face COVID-19”, Alva discussed this topic with Ignacio de la Vega, dean of EGADE Business School and the Undergraduate Business School at Tecnológico de Monterrey.

“'And suddenly, the night,' wrote Italian Nobel laureate Salvatore Quasimodo. This is how the pandemic has presented itself, in a sudden manner, filling our world with darkness, and as a crisis of great consequence that requires global leaders, as well as alternative, agile and audacious solutions, and a sense of collaboration that sadly has not taken place,” commented De la Vega.

Alva pointed out that nowadays indispensable leaders, capable of making and breaking paradigms, can feel uncomfortable in organizations that tend to uphold the status quo and are resistant to change.

“Organizations filled with followers who receive orders end up forming homogeneous groups with very little diversity of ideas and opinions. These organizations are at risk of disappearing, because they are unable of moving at the speed of change,” he said.

According to Alva, “a leader” is someone who embraces the opportunity to serve and transform, as opposed to “the boss”, who merely dictates and gives orders.

“Organizations with a “boss leadership style” become very sloppy. If you don't have the right culture to empower and move the organization, you're not going to survive,” he said.

This webinar is part of EGADE Business School's “Rising to the Challenge: Leadership in the face of COVID-19” series.

YOU CAN WATCH THE WEBINAR HERE