Constructing a Leadership Style as a Young Entrepreneur in the Latin American Fashion Industry
By Sofia Ramirez Global & Local Leadership
Context As a 29 year old Co-founder and CEO of La Oculta, a sustainable Colombian-African fashion brand, I have confronted the challenge of leading older more experienced professionals in a complex environment.
Objective Build an authentic leadership style rooted in values, context, and people that can help me improve my leadership, inspire my team and bring my company to a new level.
Research Methodology:
Leader Interviewed: Sofia Dominguez (Colombia) CEO of Saudade Você (Colombian swimwear brand, international presence). Internal Surveys: La Oculta’s team feedback
Academic Research: Harvard Business Review & Harvard Division of Continuing Education
Sofia Dominguez Interview Insights
Leadership is about building relationships, not proving authority. Importance of emotional intelligence, gratitude, and recognizing good work. Leadership in uncertain environments requires optimism and resilience. Advice: Trust yourself, listen actively, and create spaces where others can lead too.
Sofia Dominguez Interview Insights
Leadership is about building relationships, not proving authority. Importance of emotional intelligence, gratitude, and recognizing good work. Leadership in uncertain environments requires optimism and resilience. Advice: Trust yourself, listen actively, and create spaces where others can lead too.
Internal Team Survey
Strengths: Active listening, team inclusion, co-creation in decisionmaking.
Areas for Growth: Flexibility in processes to support creativity. Trust intuition over external validation.
Key Insights from "6 Common Leadership Styles and How to Decide Which to Use When" (Harvard Business Review) Coercive Authorative Pacesetting Affiliative Democratic Coaching
Effective leaders must adapt their leadership style to fit the situation, team needs, and organizational context. There is no one-size-fits-all approach; flexibility is essential for navigating changing circumstances and challenges.
Key Insights "How to Determine What My Leadership Style Is" (Harvard DCE)
Effective leadership requires self-awareness, adaptability, and a willingness to grow. There is no single best style; instead, leaders should understand the strengths and weaknesses of each approach, remain open to feedback, and tailor their style to fit their team and organizational context
Leadership Style Construction
Contextual: I adapt my leadership approach based on goals, people, and cultural realities. Relational: I build trust through emotional intelligence, active listening, being humble and shared decision-making. Reflective: I evolve continuously through feedback, introspection, and alignment with core values. Structured with Flexibility: I create clear systems (compensation, communication, workflows) while protecting space for creativity and cultural authenticity.
Ethical, Sustainable, and Culturally Aware Leadership
Leading at a sustainable pace. Honoring cultural traditions through co-creation. Embedding trust, fairness, and cultural respect into leadership decisions.
Challenging Traditional Leadership Latin Norms Leading authentically in a traditionally maledominated, hierarchical industry, using honesty as a tool to disarm defensiveness and model collaborative strength. Set Boundaries Without Apology Moving beyond hierarchy, authority, and agebased legitimacy. Emphasizing collaboration, vulnerability, and emotional depth.
Final Reflection Leadership is dynamic: Not a title or fixed model. Self-awareness and adaptability are key to building trust and effectiveness. Cultural intelligence and emotional humility are powerful leadership tools. Leadership evolves with every conversation, every decision, and every reflection.
Respect doesn’t always come f rom age or titles. It grows f rom consistency, compassion, being humble, and shared purpose.
Thank You