On February 19, the Graduate School of Business at Universidad ORT Uruguay Roberto Luna, a professor of Business Organization at the University of Valencia (Spain), who has been teaching there since 1994 and has served as director of the Master’s Program in Talent Management since 2008.
The conference, which was part of the Management and Business Lecture Series, addressed the challenges of leadership in changing environments and key strategies for effectively managing talent.
A multidisciplinary approach to leadership
During his presentation, Luna highlighted the importance of understanding leadership from a holistic perspective. He emphasized the need to draw on various disciplines, such as sociology, philosophy, and anthropology, for effective team management.
Luna also reflected on time management as one of a leader’s most valuable assets. “I’m not obsessed with money, but I am obsessed with time. For me, a person’s true wealth lies in how much time they actually have for themselves and for their people. That is the real treasure.”
The Evolution of Talent Management
One of the key themes of the conference was the transformation of human resources management in recent years. Luna explained how certain traditional concepts (such as “recruitment”) have given way to new approaches.
Employer branding has become increasingly important. We now care about a company’s image because it influences its ability to attract talent. In the past, the strategy was to build up databases of candidates; today, the approach has shifted: it’s about building a strong company with a social impact and a commitment to corporate responsibility.
In that regard, he added:“A well-positioned company will naturally attract talent through more flexible and ongoing processes. It is no longer a matter of rigidly opening and closing recruitment cycles, but rather of maintaining a constant flow of talent search and recruitment. In fact, many organizations face difficulties in bringing projects to fruition because they lack the right talent at the right time.”
The Key to Leadership: Trust and Adaptability
The expert emphasized that effective leadership is not based on control, but on trust. Luna explained how companies have moved away from rigid supervisory models and adopted more collaborative approaches, with excellent results in terms of productivity and organizational climate.
“Trust is a complex element to manage within a company. This raises a key question: How can you earn the trust of your team? Trust is fragile and can be easily broken, just as it is in personal relationships. That is why it is essential to act with integrity and remain consistent over time. Only then can we ensure that the company’s actions and values are perceived as authentic and credible by those who are part of it.”
Four tips for earning your team's trust
The conference concluded with four pieces of advice:
- To question our most deeply held beliefs.
- Combining reason with emotion.
- Train your mind to perceive reality accurately.
- Learn from experience.
Finally, he noted: “Many relationships end because while some people evolve, others remain exactly as they were 20 years ago. These differences in mindset and expectations can lead to conflict. The same thing happens in the corporate world: if a company doesn’t grow, but its employees do, sooner or later they will seek new challenges elsewhere. That is why development and evolution must be a constant at both the personal and corporate levels.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbIFlJf3stA