Ingredion

For almost 20 years in the world of technology, working in different segments: finance, consultancy and finally, industry, I can see four crucial opportunities in this transformation to the digital world, including:

• Infrastructure: considering that the reality of many plants in terms of connectivity is different from large metropolises, leadership needs to take a critical look at adopting new technologies and expanding connectivity, considering geographic, environmental and social issues.

• Decision timing: depending on the type of business, maturity of the organization and its culture, there are processes that allow greater flexibility in the stages between planning and execution and others with greater need for approvals.

• People: flexible, with a digital mindset, who seek knowledge, value making a difference, and the customer has the reason to provide the final delivery with excellence. Remember that on this journey, knowledge management is fundamental. And one of the ones that I consider most relevant is leadership. And in order to be effective, it is necessary to establish:

 Active listening with employees is essential to build a channel of trust with constructive feedback, as well as opening up to the employees so that they feel comfortable talking about any other topics 

• Act as a collaborative leader, which is not about being permissive or not managing deliveries, numbers and solutions. Rather, it is about stimulating a healthy relationship and encouraging each employee in their responsibilities to focus on reducing costs, improving quality and efficiency, and being able to provide more innovative solutions. Active listening with employees is essential to build a channel of trust with constructive feedback, as well as opening up to the employees so that they feel comfortable talking about any other topics. Work-life balance must be encouraged to ensure mental health and productivity.

• Autonomy: encouraging employees to look for solutions, counting on the leader to conclude a more assertive approach, and at the same time giving them the freedom to act.

• Team development, training talents for a technical or management career, not restricted only to courses but also to experiences in which they can challenge themselves intellectually and technically. In summary, being a leader responsible for acting directly on the digital transformation of a multinational industry in South America, in addition to the most diverse technical and resource issues, the essential thing is the strong ability to deal with people, including a clear communication alongside your direct reports, peers and above.