Leading Yourself – An Interview with Manuel Larenas

As part of our Global Talent Development Program - #Leaders4Tomorrow Program, we had the pleasure of welcoming Manuel Larenas, a Senior Consultant and top facilitator at Impact International. With extensive experience in leadership development, Manuel has worked with Fortune 500 companies to help individuals grow into strong, self-aware leaders.

In this interview, Manuel shares insights on self-leadership, the key challenges leaders face today, and practical steps to take control of one’s own growth.

An increased awareness that one of the few things we have 100% control over, is ourselves and our actions. That our own everyday experiences could be the richest source of learning and growth, especially if we are intentionally engaging in new or different experiences, then prioritizing active reflection to extract useful insights which may become a catalyst for further experimentation. Naturally, this may require leaning into some discomfort and we tend to learn the most about ourselves when we are bit uncomfortable!

It’s a deceivingly simple framework that reminds us that we thrive in conditions or environments that both challenge us and provide the right type of support against that particular challenge, so we’re primed to learn and grow from that experience. Too much challenge and we’ll likely be overwhelmed with strong emotions like stress or frustration, too much support and we’ll likely be bored or apathetic. Leaders can use this insight to intentionally design how they run meetings, decide what and how to delegate or structure their 1:1s with directs. I’d encourage any leaders to start with this question:

As mentioned above – challenge the fixed mindset that you don’t have the time to prioritize your own growth and development. Experiment with different approaches, as each experience will provide you insight against what really works for you! As a leader, another rich source to greater self-awareness is soliciting feedback from the people your actions impact. When soliciting feedback, be specific about what you want. Giving feedback to your manager already feels risky (likely too much challenge, not enough support), so experiencing a leader identifying an area they acknowledge needs work will feel more like an invitation to support them, not a trap. And remember… if it feels uncomfortable – celebrate!

Best analogy is that of the safety briefing we’ve all experienced when flying – place the oxygen mask on yourself to be able to help others. Similarly, the more we invest in developing ourselves the more capable we become in developing others. It is less about providing advice about what worked for us but rather, being able to engage others in the type of introspection that served your growth and increased self-awareness!

‘Know thy self’ – We are all different, dynamic and fluid in our needs at different stages in our lives. I believe one key approach to striking that right balance of ambition and well-being is being radically candid with yourself. Ambition is a brilliant intrinsic motivator and to avoid burnout continuously check-in with yourself and honestly assess if you are receiving the right level of support to sustain your current level of ambition. Experimentation is your friend, push your personal boundaries and don’t assume your limits or need for support.

Identify one behavior you want to change, maybe it’s how you prioritize, for example. Then get curious - write down why you engage in the current behavior you want to change, how it keeps you comfortable and what is the discomfort you may be trying to avoid (likely subconsciously). Identify the new behavior you would like to practice more and what the impact would be if that suddenly became your new reality (visualizing a future state). Experiment with this new behavior and intentionally reflect on those new experiences to extract your learning – enjoy the process!