Last Tuesday at the #MDPO program at the University of Navarra, we had an enlightening "My Experience" session that served as a true masterclass in business realism. We didn't discuss theories; instead, we talked about the "human touch" that underpins an organization of thousands of people like El Corte Inglés.

We have a 360° view of three core topic profiles core topic El Corte Inglés:

• Mr. Pedro Antonio de Juan García, Talent development manager
• Mr. Ángel Rodrigo, Director Recruitment and Selection.
• Ms. Paula Paradiñeiro, manager Internships and Young Talent.

Thanks to their generosity in sharing their successes (and their scars), here are the five lessons every leader should take to heart:

1. The leader as a "barrier-breaker": Your role isn't about control; it's about facilitation. If you remove the obstacles for your team, they'll take off on their own.
2. Cascading Service: Don't expect your team to take care of customers if you don't take care of them. Excellence starts at home.
3. Active listening: The key to effective leadership today isn't about giving orders; it's about identifying what motivates each team member. Every person is a unique ecosystem.
4. Moral authority is earned through hard work: Your position something a business gives position business a visit card ; your team grants you authority every morning based on your consistency and the example you set.
5. Strategic Humility: Surrounding yourself with people who know more than you do isn't a threat to your job; it's the only guarantee of your department success.

We would like to thank Pedro Antonio, Ángel, and Paula for reminding us that, in the age of AI, the competitive advantage that is hardest to replicate remains human quality.