That a full life is worth it and, in addition, makes you a better professional was one of the main learnings that Sara de Pablos, former CMO of international companies and current Co-Founder of Greater, The Transition Community, shared with the 150 attendees and participants in the sixth edition of PonteCara. His reflection, based on more than thirty years of experience in the corporate world, served as a vindication of purpose as a compass in all stages of professional life.

The board was one of the speakers at the networking event promoted by Carlos García Trillo, current Marketing Director at Gaes, and Andrea Franco, Professional Development Coach. Since its launch in 2017, PonteCara has focused on vindicating the value of shared time, quality conversation and contact as the basis of professional relationships.
The meeting took place on April 23 at the Iroko Space in Madrid, sponsored by Glocally, Andbank and Octopus, and demonstrated that it has already established itself as an active community that understands that networking must go beyond an exchange of corporate cards or accumulating contacts on Linkedin to be translated into tangible relationships, projects and opportunities.

In her speech, Sara de Pablos wanted to share with the audience some of the lessons she has acquired throughout her journey, which has taken place both in large firms in the advertising industry – such as Zenith, Mediacom and Initiative – or on the advertiser side. She was part of Diageo for more than fifteen years, reaching the position of General Director for Spain, and also served as CEO for Iberia at Suntory Beverage & Food. Currently, Greater advises senior executives in transition to design and promote their second professional life.

Your career is in your hands

Achieving the desired career path depends on oneself, not on colleagues, bosses or the circumstances of the moment. To do this, it is essential to define what you want to do, who you want to be, set the levels of ambition and rhythms, and work and fight for it.

“Nobody is going to give you anything, you have to go out and look for it.“, commented the directive. “Your life does not depend on others, but it is important to have allies and people who support you”.

Ambition with principles

As Sara de Pablos commented, ambition is not inherently bad. What’s more, approached in a positive way, it can be healthy and help personal development and growth, acting as a driving force to achieve the best version of oneself. But it can become a defect if it is not guided by principles and values.

“The business world is very competitive and there are very ambitious people with few scruples, but it is important to keep in mind that you can reach the position of CEO or Director without leaving corpses along the way.”, noted the directive. “It is possible to progress and sleep peacefully.”

Surround yourself with brilliant people

When it comes to managing teams, in the eyes of Sara de Pablos, there are two models: on the one hand, those who deliberately surround themselves with people who do not challenge, but flatter them to inflate their egos; and, on the other hand, those who look for more intelligent and brilliant people who pose constant challenges.

“Don’t choose the first option. Have the security and confidence necessary in yourself to surround yourself with brighter people, do not put up silos or barriers“commented the board.”I call it “BB” people: good people and good professionals. “They make life more rewarding and help achieve goals.”.

Along these lines, he also recommended prioritizing attitude over aptitude when choosing and forming teams.

Manage your ego well

As with ambition, ego is not necessarily bad either. In such a competitive corporate world, it is necessary to defend ideas, visions and projects, both your own and the team you lead, before senior management.

“You have to have ego and self-confidence, but in the right measure. It is not a good idea to fall into narcissism or lose perspective, because it can compromise your objectives.”, explained de Pablos during his speech in PonteCara.

A full life makes you a better professional

The board also took advantage of the occasion to remember the importance of living a full life; That is, a life that develops in a balanced way in its many facets, from professional career to personal growth and physical well-being. From their point of view, this helps to gain perspective as well as confront potential challenges.

“Those who have work as the only pillar of their life are worse professionals, because they lack the enrichment that other aspects offer. If you live by and for work, and it fails, your life fails you.“, argued Sara de Pablos. “It is essential to enjoy family, friends and passions to be able to lead a full life”.

Leading a complete life, in its broadest sense, is critical to discovering your personal purpose and, in this way, reorienting your trajectory or addressing adversities if necessary. For this reason, he invited attendees to stop, reflect and reconnect with themselves periodically, not only when a work stage ends, to make sure that all objectives, both professional and personal, are met.
“I encourage you to take control of your career and your life, to be ambitious and surround yourself with good people, because it is a long-term investment”, he commented in conclusion. “And trust that brilliant people support brilliant people. Give, and the universe and people will end up returning your effort and work.”