Some conversations don’t end when the event is over, they echo. That is exactly what happened during our recent 53rd INAC Global Annual Meeting in Mexico City.
The Black Swan Effect, Preparing Leadership and Businesses for the Unexpected, which brought together global talent experts, board members and leaders from various industries, challenged us to rethink how we prepare ourselves, talent and organizations for the unpredictable. We spoke about risk, disruption, purpose, and decision-making under pressure, but what resonated most with me was something less obvious, yet deeply powerful …
Sometimes, our greatest obstacle is not what we don’t know … but what we are sure we do.
Uncertainty doesn’t ask for permission; it forces its way in. What once made us successful can quickly become a blind spot. Familiar models, proven strategies, and long-standing expertise can become our mental traps that limit our ability to see, sense, and respond.
And that is where agility begins. Not in fast action, not in changing processes, not in confidence … instead, in deep awareness, in challenging perspectives and in humility.
The leaders who thrive today aren’t those who react faster, they are those who unlearn faster, who can let go of outdated assumptions, who cultivate adapting thinking as practice, not just a reaction.
At INAC Global Executive Search , we see this every day in our work with senior executives across industries and continents. The capacity to adapt is no longer a competitive advantage. It is a survival trait. And it’s one we must train for.
So let me leave you with a few powerful questions we explored during our The Black Swan Effect event:
▪️ What part of your leadership is still rooted in past success?
▪️ What truths need to be revisited before they become barriers?
▪️ Are you building a team that is rewarded for agility or punished for changing the course?
As we continue shaping the future of executive search, we must also shape the future of leadership. Because the next disruption won’t wait for us to be ready.
REMEMBER, the best prepared leader is not the one who know the most … but the one who is most willing to rethink everything they thought they knew.
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Rui Borges, President INAC Global Executive Search and Managing Partner Ad Capita (INAC Portugal)
Rui is the founder and Managing Partner of Ad Capita Executive Search (𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗖 𝗣𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗴𝗮𝗹), a preeminent retained Executive Search firm in Portugal since 2001. A recognized seasoned Executive Recruiter for the past 25 years, Rui has been identifiying and placing senior-level executives across sectors and geographies and has always devoted himself to emerging leaders and the buildout of executive talent pipelines. Rui is also Co-founder of our network, 𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗖 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹, one of the leading Executive Search networks in the world. Having served this organization for over 30 years and held a variety of roles during that time, most recently as its President, Rui has always focused his energy and intercultural intelligence on building and leading a global team to drive growth, entrepreneurship, innovation and creativity to provide first-rate talent advisory services across the globe.
