"Vulnerability strengthens leadership": Elena Alti at Women Summit

Leading corporate women in Mexico gathered at the fourth annual Expansión Mujeres Summit in Mexico City to discuss how to overcome isolation in senior management and build effective professional support systems.

A striking statistic presented during the panel "Networks That Create Impact" highlighted that 69% of the 100 most powerful businesswomen in Mexico have experienced feelings of loneliness during their careers. This underscores a significant challenge within the corporate landscape.

Elena Alti, SVP and CMO of Grupo Salinas, offered a unique perspective, reframing solitude not as a personal failure but as a necessary strategic pause for introspection. "Feeling alone makes you reflect, makes you feel vulnerable, and makes you stop to decide why you feel that way and what you need," Alti explained. She emphasized that this vulnerability is crucial for recognizing when to seek help and support.

Alti challenged traditional notions of leadership, stating, "Leading is serving, not serving yourself." She advocated for building strong support networks starting within one's own organization by fostering daily listening, transparency, and data analysis to establish clear objectives. This approach transforms the work team into a primary support network.

Addressing the common belief that a mentor is essential for professional growth, Alti suggested that while valuable, it is not the only path. She proposed that evolving professionally depends more on the ability to coexist and advance within an actively constructed ecosystem. Drawing from her own experience integrating into the Mexican market five years ago, she credited the generous networking she received as key to her growth. Alti also proposed a shift in business relationships, moving from self-interest to serving others, stating, "Networking starts by thinking it's for you, but the panorama changed for me when I asked myself how I can serve or be an important lever in the networking of others."

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Liderar es servir y no servirte a ti mismo.