Name: Victor Octavio Moreno

Title: CEO

Organisation: Econogob

Economist, with more than 18 years of professional experience in the field, both in the public and private sectors. With leadership and negotiator skills at the international level, I have represented Mexico and different Central American nations before the IDB, the World Bank, and the Central American Development Bank. With experience as CFO and CEO, managing to carry out projects that were considered lost.

A frequent guest on national and international news programs, a contributor to Reporte Índigo and El Financiero, frequent guest as a speaker at IMEF, Canacintra and COPARMEX. and diferent universitys in Latino america

Thank you to the 2,000 leaders who’ve generously done the 7 Questions on Leadership!

I hope Victor's answers will encourage you in your leadership journey. Enjoy!

Cheers,

Jonno White

1. What have you found most challenging as a leader?

There really are many challenges you face as a leader, fighting with pressure or maintaining team unity are real challenges. On many occasions, people believe that we have all the solutions, that we can solve all the problems and this can be a very difficult burden to tolerate. For me, the biggest challenge is being able to put together the team from a professional perspective, often leaving aside friendship or feelings.

2. How did you become a leader? Can you please briefly tell the story?

Phew, that will be a long story. To begin with, I never considered myself a leader, even now I don't consider myself one, but I could say that since college when I took a step forward to face challenges that few or no one wanted to take on.

Soon I was giving interviews on radio and TV, years later at the Ministry of Economy, where I worked, they asked for a volunteer to develop a government program from 0, and once again I took the step forward, I ended up with more than 20 people in my charge, and studying at MIT, When the animation association was created, several of my initiatives were taken by the companies that were part of it and they all followed my ideas and proposals.

But I never considered myself a leader until in an interview a journalist that I respect a lot told me on the air, the truth is I was speechless, I have never considered myself that way.

3. How do you structure your work days from waking up to going to sleep?

A difficult question, ok, my day starts at 6 am, in most cases I go running with my dog ​​in a park very close to my house, around an old convent, while I listen to national and international news, in In other cases, at 7 am I have to be ready to go on TV as a guest to talk about economics and business or, failing that, teach classes at a university from 7 to 9.

I have breakfast with my family if possible at 8 am, if not I have a meeting during breakfast, In the office, at 10, I try to have a quick meeting with my entire team, lasting no more than 10 or 15 minutes, discussing generalities and personal issues, I congratulate everyone on the goals achieved or express my concern otherwise, Likewise, I congratulate your children on their birthdays or achievements at school.

I always try to maintain a healthy work environment, Afterwards, checking the pending and status of projects, at 12, my coffee, black espresso, is almost something religious for me, and I chat with the leaders of each team, to see specific issues and pending or more particular issues, I almost always have meetings afterward, together with clients and suppliers, or give a TV interview or conference at a university.

Lunch at 3, in many cases, are business meal, in Mexico it is very common to see business during lunch meetings. In the afternoon, review pending events and check appointments and meetings for the following days, review project status and monitor progress, and review metrics and statuses, In the afternoon after 7 pm, I either give training courses to companies and banks or teach classes at a university.

9 at night back home, I regularly spend one or two hours reading, seeing relatives and having dinner, in many cases dinner is also away from home to discuss business matters, For me, my car becomes an extension of the office, in many cases, I am driving and talking to someone about pending tasks and daily tasks, the fact of delegating does not mean that I stop supervising, that is why for me the most important thing is my work team.

4. What's a recent leadership lesson you've learned for the first time or been reminded of?

I believe that learning is constant, you always learn, we live in a globalized world, and the challenges increase with technology, perhaps the most recent thing I learned the hard way is that not all people take work in the same way.

You, there are people who just want to receive a salary with minimal effort, or simply do not understand why they want to have their own company. We can have people with a lot of capacity, but if they do not have the desire or desire to improve, they are useless no matter how much we motivate them.

5. What's one book that has had a profound impact on your leadership so

far? Can you please briefly tell the story of how that book impacted your leadership?

Ugh, another difficult question, I can't say only one book impacted me, it is the work of many authors that have shaped me and each one impacted me in different ways, Krugman's works have influenced me greatly, as well as those of Stiglits, or those of Carlos Aranda, and Jose Ayala, perhaps because of my coexistence with these last two, they impacted me more than the others.

6. If you could only give one piece of advice to a young leader, what would you say to them?

They must always learn to be disruptors in the market, to innovate and create new things, leaders do not follow the path, they create it, and you have to have the courage to lose, in many cases they will see many defeats and attempts before achieving victory. , never give up, and never let them manipulate you, be yourself, and be free, but above all be creators of the future, and not just actors in someone else's work.

7. What is one meaningful story that comes to mind from your time as a leader, so far? Years ago, I went to work for a very large financial consulting firm, but I felt that it was not my place, we had very different ways of seeing the economic and financial world, and due to different visions, I had a discussion with one of my superiors, which I predicted When I left that office when I left the boss told me that with my attitude I wouldn't get very far. Years later, a business magazine, THE CEO, interviewed me as Director of my own company.

Below my photograph was that of the one who had been my boss, the media gave us the same level, after that first publication I received an email from him, he just said, congratulations, I was wrong about you, but I think it was better to let you go, there are those who were born for someone. boats, not for rowing, I still have that email.