Madelie Santana
Sr Director CIO Executive Leadership Gartner | Mindset coach
In our Great Talk with Madelin Santana, Senior Director and CIO Executive Leader at Gartner, she shared her insights on how corporate leadership is evolving.
With a background that includes leading executive programs at Harvard University and implementing global transformations at large technology companies, Madelin offers us a unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities facing leaders in the digital age.
Madelin Santana and her background
Madelin Santana is not a conventional leader. Her career has been forged by empowering world leaders in Harvard classrooms and on the battlefield of the most advanced technology companies globally.
Currently, at Gartner, she is dedicated to helping C-Suite leaders re-imagine and design the future of leadership, where she continually applies our UDDT® as a graduate of our KTP® program, a central theme in the Great Talk she held with Emmanuel Puga CEO of Great Plan.
The future of corporate leadership: Adaptability and speed
One of the most interesting topics she shared with us was the rapid evolution that corporate leadership has undergone. She stressed that in a world where uncertainty is the norm and the speed of change is dizzying, leaders must be prepared to adapt constantly.
Effective leadership is no longer just a matter of technical skills, but of anticipating change, making strategic decisions quickly, and most importantly, keeping a humanistic vision at the center of all interactions.
Essential skills for tomorrow’s leaders
In terms of the key skills that leaders must develop, Madelin highlighted two crucial areas:
1.- Highly specialized skills: These include strategic thinking and market intelligence, essential for navigating an increasingly complex business environment.
2.- People skills: Empathy, effective communication and the ability to work collaboratively are now more important than ever. Madelin noted that, despite the increasing adoption of technology, these people skills will remain at the core of successful leadership.
The role of mindset in leadership
One of the most powerful concepts Madelin introduced was that of the “mindset.” She explained that companies should not only look for leaders with the right mindset, but they can and should also help develop this mindset in their teams.
In a global business environment, “co-leadership” is becoming an emerging model, where collaboration between leaders is essential to overcome future challenges.
Artificial intelligence: threat or ally?
The impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on leadership was another key point of the conversation. Madelin assured that AI will not replace leaders, but will enhance their capabilities, allowing them to be more effective in decision-making and communication. However, he emphasized that human skills will remain irreplaceable, as empathy and the ability to influence are elements that technology cannot fully replicate.
Conclusion: Building the future of leadership
Madelin closed the talk with a powerful reflection: the future of leadership is in our hands. Today’s leaders have the responsibility to build that future through conscious decisions, adaptability and above all, humanity.
With the courage to innovate and the willingness to adapt, leaders can guide their organizations to sustainable success in an increasingly unpredictable world.
