Leadership identity

Pilar Mendiola FernandezMexican-born leadership development executive and strategist, former Washington Center executive and group CEO of Alamo Holding Group

• Mendiola Fernandez says the main obstacle for leaders is ego rather than naivety.

  “I think so. I think that the challenge more than naivety is ego”

  Tomorrow, Today: Leadership Beyond Strategy With Pilar Mendiola Fernandez | Shekhar Natarajan (Oct 27, 2026) · Listen from 51:12

• Mendiola Fernandez argues leaders need at least a basic understanding of each vulnerability area because a company cannot outgrow its leader's identity.

  “not only do you ask the right questions, but also the company will never grow beyond the leader's identity”

  Tomorrow, Today: Leadership Beyond Strategy With Pilar Mendiola Fernandez | Shekhar Natarajan (Oct 27, 2026) · Listen from 48:49

• Mendiola Fernandez argues that failure should be treated as feedback, and that tying identity to results is self-defeating.

  “I learned that it was feedback and that if I tied my identity to the way that I achieve results, then I was over”

  Tomorrow, Today: Leadership Beyond Strategy With Pilar Mendiola Fernandez | Shekhar Natarajan (Oct 27, 2026) · Listen from 27:45

• Mendiola Fernandez describes herself as a strategic alchemist who transforms data, constraints and complexities into valuable information.

  “I basically transform data, constraints and complexities into a very valuable information”

  Tomorrow, Today: Leadership Beyond Strategy With Pilar Mendiola Fernandez | Shekhar Natarajan (Oct 27, 2026) · Listen from 24:51