Empack: Tell us Loida, after more than 20 years of experience as a lecturer, what was it that drove you to become an entrepreneur and become the expert you are today?

Loida: The need to adapt to change. What drove me to undertake and become an expert in conscious leadership and transformation in organisations, through conferences and mentoring, was to contribute value from my own lived experience. When I joined the family business, I lived through adverse situations, very complicated, both personally and professionally, which not only made me stronger, more confident and more aware of business management in a world that is in constant movement, but also gave me greater conviction in the need to work on talent management. And it is this that has given me the knowledge, experience and skill in conscious leadership. This is where I see that there is an important evolution towards excellence that needs to be worked on. From my point of view, success lies in discovering our inner leader. Identifying our strengths, our values, our motivations, everything that makes you take action. That is the leadership style to work on. Conscious leadership starts with oneself, becoming aware of the tools and resources you possess, in order to project them onto others, improve commitment in the organisation and generate an increased sense of belonging, transforming our collaborators into ambassadors and facilitators of change. Then you realise the impact you are having on people.

All of this encouraged me to become an entrepreneur. Because I understood that I could add value to organisations, making a difference in the way we manage our teams. What drove me was the responsibility I felt when I saw the change I had brought about in the family business, and in my own companies, with this work of focusing on the care and development of people’s talent, and not only on the resources and tools provided by new technologies. I have travelled along paths that have not been easy, as I have come up against resistance to change, to doing things differently. However, perseverance, perseverance and all the lessons learned, which I have applied in each company and organisation I have worked with, have given me the motivation and conviction that focusing management on people, making them feel an important part of the company, activating communication and making it flow, generates greater security, participation and confidence in the team, which translates into positive results that bring us closer to success.

Empack: What does EINCOA mean and what does the Method consist of?

Loida: The aim of this methodology is to strengthen the links between organisations and their most important asset; people, in order to optimise resources and improve results.

The EINCOA method is a working tool for the internal management of organisations, based on four fundamental pillars; Listening, Inquiry, Communication and Activation.

Today’s leaders must demonstrate a capacity for conscious, active listening to recognise team needs, areas for improvement, strengths, skills and internal talent.

Inquiring, investigating, exploring and finding out what growth opportunities they have within the company, encouraging team participation, so that they feel integrated and cohesive with the values and purpose of the company.

Active communication is a fundamental point, which focuses on the two previous steps. Discovering and enhancing the skills of employees, attending to their needs and contributions with conscious and positive listening, enhances effective and efficient communication in the organisation.

And then, of course, you have to take action. My job as an executive mentor to organisations is to get leaders to activate all that we have discovered and created in the previous steps.

Empack: In all your years as an executive mentor, we assume that you have collaborated with large companies. In which sectors have you given your talks? Would you highlight any session that has had a special impact on you?

Loida: As a transformational mentor, I have accompanied and facilitated different managers, middle management and transversal teams, and I have also given high-impact conferences, motivating, raising awareness from the most human side and mentoring on issues related to change management, resilience, efficient and effective communication, diversity leadership and family business protocols. And I have carried out these two types of activities in very different areas, from large companies such as Iberdrola, Banco Santander, Grupo Zambon or Grupo Uvesco, to SMEs and smaller companies. Therefore, I have also worked in very different sectors; the pharmaceutical sector, in health, food, industry, construction, banking and finance…

Each one with its own idiosyncrasy, its essence, its authenticity, its reality… Each company with its own areas of improvement and strengths. I can’t single out any of them, because all of them leave their mark on me… I learn something from all of them, thanks to their diversity, the different cultures, the different characteristics of each sector. For me, each mentoring session, each conference, each training programme, gives me the privilege of accessing new sectors, from which I always get a new vision, a new learning, which I can turn into a new action, adding more value each time.

Everything that each person or group I work with contributes, each problem we face, each obstacle we overcome, is a “nugget of gold”, which is of great value to me, so that I can then pass it on to others. That is why I cannot single out any company or sector in particular, as they all add to the learning and experience I share.

Empack: In recent years, when technology has meant a frenetic change in our lives and in the world of work, have you been in contact with young people who are starting their professional career? What advice would you give them to start their career?

Loida: Yes, I have collaborated with many organisations and institutions that work with young people, such as SPYRING GIRLS, or business schools such as Esic, Esade, or universities such as Deusto, which has allowed me to be in contact with young people in many areas of entrepreneurship.

And for me, more than advice, I like to contribute and share reflections. From my point of view, the most important thing is to believe in oneself. I think it is essential that each individual knows how to identify both their strengths and their areas for improvement.

And always believe in yourself. Believe that you can do it. That is what I always try to transmit.

When you believe in yourself, you become the protagonist of your life. What you don’t do, someone else will do for you.

By facing our fears and insecurities, the uncertainty that the constant movement of life brings us, we become stronger, our self-esteem grows, which allows us to see new horizons, new realities and new goals.

That is why I try to encourage them to take the leap, to take the plunge, to dare. And above all, to those people who want and need a change in their lives. Don’t let their fears rob them of their dreams.

To women, I encourage them to break those glass ceilings that still exist in many areas and cultures, to really know themselves and eliminate many limiting beliefs.

Discovering what our desires and passions are, really, are elements without which I cannot conceive of life.

Empack: Companies in the packaging and logistics sector must also adapt to a constantly changing ecosystem, what practical advice would you give them to face this volatility?

Loida: The main reflection that I share with companies in this sector, in which I also work regularly, such as Nacex, is the same as in any company; that their leaders are attentive to the value of the people who make up their team. We often look for external solutions, we look to other markets, to the competition… to find the solutions we need.Encouraging the participation of our collaborators can reveal hidden treasures, increase involvement and motivation.We always talk about entrepreneurship as an activity that is separate from working as an employee. But a good leader must also be able to encourage intrapreneurship among the people in his or her team. His or her employees may be the ones who best know how the company works, its weakest areas and its areas for improvement, so they can also offer ideas and contributions that provide a practical, quick and effective solution.
On many occasions, the people who run companies focus only on technical skills, market, objectives, results… And I consider it fundamental that the leaders of a company, whatever the sector, must never neglect interpersonal relationships with the members of their team. This, I believe, is the key to conscious, healthy leadership with the best guarantee of success.