One Question. Many Leaders (2)
Leaders across industries, functions and organizational levels share their perspective on how culture enables strategy to succeed.
“Hi, I’m Miriam Ponce Gutiérrez, director of Governance and Corporate Culture at Values & Value Magazine. After years working with organizations of different sizes and stages of growth, I’ve learned that Culture is never static.
The Culture that helped a company succeed yesterday may not be the Culture it needs tomorrow. But evolving doesn’t mean losing who we are. Values and purpose are the roots, and the Culture is how we bring them to life through norms, behaviours, decisions, strategies,… as the organization grows and transforms.
From my perspective, leadership is also about knowing what must remain, what must change, and when it is time to evolve the Culture. Because a healthy Culture is one that grows with the organization, without losing its soul”.
Welcome to "One Question. Many Leaders" season 2.
Season 2
What cultural element truly makes the difference between a strategy that is presented and a strategy that is executed?
Your answers (connect & share):
“The conversation. When the strategy stops being merely a document and becomes part of everyday conversations; what we prioritize, what we decide to do and not to do, how we work together”.
“Coherence. When what the company claims to value aligns with what it recognizes, rewards and decides”.
“The ability to say no. When the team knows how to prioritize -and walk away from initiatives that don’t contribute to the strategy- there is a much better chance of executing it”.
Their experience:
Andrea Vazquez
General Manager LATAM Region at PINT PHARMA | Pharmacueticals
Conversation's transcription:
"Hi, I’m Andrea Vazquez, General Manager for the Latam Region at PINT PHARMA. Unlocking possibilities in rare diseases.
I used to think that if a strategy was clear enough, people would execute it. Then I learned otherwise.
Early in my career, I led a major change across different regions. Everyone understood the plan and agreed with it. But when reality got complicated, teams waited for instructions instead of adapting.
That’s when I realised something: understanding a strategy is not the same as owning it. And I started asking a different question: “how do we make this work in your territory?”.
That changed everything, because when people own the “why” they become much more capable of finding their own “how”.
We take note of this inspiring idea: ...to ensure the team owns the Plan and is ready to bring it to life within their own territory of responsibility.
Thank you, Andrea, for your contribution.
Values & Value Magazine
Sreetaran Ponnuthura
Founder & Principal Consultant @ Helios Energy Advisory | Energy
Conversation's transcription:
"In my experience executing difficult and complex strategies, the cultural element that makes the biggest difference is how well the strategy is translated into everyday actions and reinforced through the organisation. People need to understand what the strategy means for them, how they contribute to it, and how success will be measured.
At the start of the year, we translated the overall strategy into practical initiatives with the teams, aligned our KPIs and incentives to those priorities, and established regular two-way reviews to track progress, recognise achievements and address challenges. We then followed these closely throughout the year rather than treating the strategy as a one-off annual exercise.
I found this approach particularly effective because it kept the strategy connected to what people were actually doing day to day, while giving us the opportunity to adapt and maintain momentum as challenges emerged".
We take note of this idea: …to set regular two-way reviews to track progress, recognise achievements and address challenges.
Thank you, Sree, for your contribution.
Values & Value Magazine
Amelia Buergo
Deputy Head of Legal at COFIDES | Venture Capital & Private Equity
Conversation's transcription:
"Hi, I'm Amelia Buergo. I've spent 25 years as a senior lawyer and General Counsel in the private sector, at tier-one law firms, Banco Santander and an energy group. Currently serving as Deputy Head of Legal at COFIDES, Spain's public development finance institution.
If I had to choose one cultural factor that turns a presented strategy into an executed one, it would be teamwork around shared objectives, built on each person's concrete commitment.
A strategy is executed when every person understands that their part serves a greater goal, common to the whole team and the organization. Like the pieces of a gear, every contribution matters to the final result. That creates a real sense of belonging and, at the same time, personal responsibility; doing your work as well as you can, on time and in the right way.
Shared goals give the strategy its direction. Individual commitment gives it motion".
An inspiring idea: ...strategy gains momentum when shared goals create collective ownership and drive individual responsibility, and key functions are involved from the outset in its approach, development and monitoring.
Thank you, Amelia, for your contribution.
Values & Value Magazine
Choni Fernandez Veciana
COO&CSO at PortAventura World | Large-scale operations . Sustainable transformation | Tourism & Leisure
Video's transcription:
"Hi, I'm Choni Fernandez, Director of Operations for Parks and Sustainable Innovation at PortAventura World.
If I had to choose one cultural shift that has been key to successfully implementing our strategy at PortAventura World, I would say it is how we have turned our commitments into habits within our own business.
We have learned this particularly well through sustainability, which has become the pillar underpinning everything we do.”
An inspiring idea: ...strategy becomes real when commitments shape everyday behaviours (in a sustainable way).
Thank you, Choni, for your contribution.
Values & Value Magazine
Fernando Valle
Global Sales. Account Lead at Mastercard | Financial Services
Conversation's translation:
“Hello, I’m Fernando Valle, Global Account Manager at Mastercard. Corporate culture helps align employees’ behaviours and decisions with the company’s values, fostering collaboration, innovation, and value creation for all stakeholders.
At Mastercard, we have a framework called the Mastercard WAY. One of its core principles, Create Value, focuses on creating value for customers, partners, and colleagues through innovation, continuous improvement, and a deep understanding of their needs, turning the best ideas into tangible results.
Results create success, but culture is what makes that success sustainable.”
An inspiring idea: ... culture as a behavioural alignment tool (collaboration and value creation) that enables sustainable success.
Thank you, Fernando, for your contribution.
Values & Value Magazine
What emerges:
1. Ownership.
People execute differently when they understand the why and can shape the how, and feel personally committed to the outcome.
2. Translation.
Strategy becomes culture when it is translated into everyday actions, measures and decisions, and eventually become habits.
3. Reinforcement.
Shared objectives, accountability and continuous dialogue keep strategy alive beyond the initial presentation.
And a new dimension: Value Creation and Sustainability.
Culture is not only an enabler of execution; it helps transform innovation and collaboration into tangible value for stakeholders. Culture does not simply help organizations achieve results, it shapes their capacity to sustain those results over time.
Celebrating your participation in "One Question, Many Leaders".