New Frontiers for Dasein

A new look on life

Tip from Psychology Intern Rebeca Prates

Pragmatic, responsible and dedicated – even too much so. Although fictional, the life of Theo, a renowned Danish chef, is similar to that of many professionals. The protagonist of the film “Toscana” returns to his native Italy in order to sell the goods inherited by his late father. The idea is to build a new restaurant, but he is surprised by his experiences there.

According to Rebeca Prates, a psychology intern and the author of the tip, besides being set in a stunning scenery, the movie provides a light, gastronomic experience that makes us rethink the way we see and live life. “It shows us how the main character was distressed and unhappy, so that everything and everyone around him was affected by it. His journey allowed him to heal wounds, appreciate the beauty of things, and slowly return to a state of happiness and appreciation for life and what it can offer if we are present. In addition, we find in this feature film how love and being around special people has transformative power.”

What: “Toscana” movie. Where to watch: Netflix.

The Power of Cooperation

Tip from board member Luiz Gonzaga Leal

The simplicity of a good conversation and meaningful interactions has been gaining, fortunately, the spotlight in many companies. In addition to improving the work environment, it is a great alternative for solving new challenges: much better, in fact, than the crazy ideas that come up all the time. Proof of this is the book “Six Simple Rules: how to manage complexity without getting complicated”, a tip from Dasein’s consultant and counselor Luiz Gonzaga Leal.

Signed by Yves Morieux and Peter Tollman, from the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), the book approaches the complexity that is generated in organizations when a new market demand must be met or a complex problem must be solved. “I have witnessed several times, in situations like this, attempts at solutions with the creation of positions, systems, processes, variable pay, training, or celebrations that do not solve and create new costs and new complexities,” highlights Leal. According to him, the book shows, through six simple rules, how autonomy and cooperation among people is the best solution. “It’s a must read!”

What: book “Six Simple Rules: how to manage complexity without getting complicated”. Where to buy: online or local bookstores.

A reflection on exhaustion

Tip from Psychology Intern, Brenda Martins

Who among us has never felt useless? asks Dasein’s psychology intern, Brenda Martins. According to her, the question-reflection came to her mind when she read the book “Fatigue Society”, by Byung-Chul Han, a South Korean philosopher and professor. “The so-called ‘society of fatigue’ makes us believe that the only responsible for success is the individual, thus creating the need for people to be always active, looking for ways to act, to undertake, resting less and less, and becoming more and more fissured by the pursuit of success, instead of becoming subjects that are really productive.”

Martins points out that the work brings a reflection about society, where the excess of positivity and unhealthy productivity is present. “The author makes very explicit the way society deals with all this and describes that its purpose involves the maximization of people’s performance, causing them to become self-exploiting. Due to this behavior, individuals feel useless, unable to perform certain functions even after a full day’s work. According to Brenda Martins, the book also encourages reflection on psychological fatigue, which is increasingly present in people’s lives.

What: “Fatigue Society” book. Where to buy: high street and online bookstores.

In recent years we have witnessed the power that global companies have to influence good management practices, new habits and changes in society. But what is behind these organizations? The right leaders. They are the ones who lead the most important transformations in cultures and teams, who question the “status quo”, and who, many times, generate changes so significant in their organizations that they inspire much of the world.

Brazil is an important market for us because of its potential and leadership in the region.

And none of this would be possible without the precise choice of these executives. This is exactly where EMA Partners, one of the world’s leading executive search and leadership development groups, operates. At the heart of its work is the assessment, recruitment, and development of talent capable and prepared to lead a world in constant redefinition.

To discuss EMA’s work in detail and its launch in Brazil, through the union with Dasein, we interviewed Alberto Miranda, chairman of the company and one of the main names in executive search worldwide.

With 30 years of operation and over 40 offices worldwide, EMA Partners is considered one of the main global groups in executive search and leadership advisory. How will EMA’s experience, added to Dasein’s expertise, contribute to the evolution of companies and leadership in the Brazilian market?

EMA PARTNERS has more than thirty years of experience giving talent solutions to different type of companies. Brazil is an important market for us because of its potential and leadership in the region. We are sure that Dasein’s expertise will help us to increase synergies with other partners in Latin America and around the globe.

Dasein’s experience will help us to increase synergies with other partners in Latin America and all over the world.

 According to the “Leadership for the decade of action” survey conducted by the UN Global Compact, 92% of the CEOs of global companies believe that sustainability is a critical factor for business success. However, only 48% work in this direction. What is needed for sustainability to move from discourse to practical action? And how can executive search and leadership advisory help in this process?

Sustainability is already in the top of mind of every leading company. Certainly there is too much to do and enterprises are looking forward to leverage strategies in this way. Sustainability is much more than taking care of the earth. Sustainability is talking about circular economy to make the most of the material resources available to us. Sustainability is also taking care of the main stakeholders. And please, don’t forget the main stakeholder of any company is the human capital. Many times we focus our efforts on easy slogans and we forget that taking care of our team, taking care of our people is our first responsibility.

Following the rise of the ESG agenda, the sustainable and humanized leadership style is gaining more and more weight in Brazilian companies. Considered a global trend, do you observe the gains that companies from other countries have with this leadership style? What examples could you share with our executives?

Flexibility and ability to manage uncertainty is a must.

Talking about leadership in global markets, it is talking about diversity. The human capital is enriched with managers adding international experience. Companies are looking for international talent. Frontiers disappear when we talk about talent. There is a clear need of an inclusive leadership, open to different professional experiences in different environments. Flexibility and ability to manage uncertainty is a must. Markets conditions change easily and we need managers  that can drive under these scenarios.

Having diverse leadership, including women, black people and other minorities, is a goal in the world’s leading companies. In Brazil it is no different, but due to historical social problems, it is not easy to bring to the top management selection process suitable professionals who represent minorities. How can the new partnership between Dasein and EMA Partners bring gains to companies in this regard?

Helping companies to increase their talent is one of our responsibilities. We really believe in diversity.  We try to identify the most qualified talent by searching and assessing without bias methodologies. This is the way, although some times our clients don’t have the same vision and they have not the same approach. It doesn’t matter the age, country origin, color or sex, we try to focus on talent. So simple and so difficult many times.

Executive search strategist, you are internationally recognized for your competence. Tell us a little about your professional trajectory, teachings and challenges faced that were important to reach the top at EMA Partners.

I have more than twenty five years of experience in executive search. My mentors were founder members of EMA PARTNERS in 1988. I am member of EMA PARTNERS Executive Committee since 2010 and global chairman since 2017. I try to serve my firm in the best way I can. I have learnt a lot from my colleagues. Patience, optimism and business focus is crucial.  I have enhanced my capacity to listen other points of views, enriching, in that way, my own vision. We are really a diverse organization, different cultures, different markets, different experiences, men, women, young talent and experienced professionals. Diverse organization sharing common values as commitment, honesty and excellence. And last point very important for me and I would say for every one: Try to enjoy with your role. If you are not able to do it, maybe you need a change!

Many times we focus our efforts on easy slogans and we forget that taking care of our team, taking care of our people is our first responsibility.

There are several factors that motivate the internationalization of a service or product. Achieving a prominent position in the market and establishing a sustainable business model are crucial points, for example. With these attributes, combined with proven generation of value for stakeholders, Dasein expands its borders to over 30 countries on completing 27 years of operation.

As of this month, the consulting company, founded in September 1995 in Belo Horizonte (MG), has become a partner of one of the largest international executive search groups: EMA Partners, headquartered in England. Established in the world’s main business centers since 1988, “the organization is recognized for reaching the state of the art in executive search and leadership consulting services”, emphasizes Dasein’s CEO, Adriana Prates.

“The process of analyzing this new opportunity began a few months ago and resulted in a very rich review of processes and business for all involved, both for our team and for EMA’s vice president, Philippe Eyer, who visited our headquarters. On August 31, we made the partnership official, which made this date a milestone, as we expanded our service potential, which is now global.”

Gains for the Brazilian executive sector

According to Adriana Prates, the new consulting firm Dasein | EMA Partners Brazil will bring a strong increase in innovations and technologies for the sector, contributing with the anticipation of scenarios and strategic guidance to customers. “Besides the exchange of experiences and direct access to practices that are examples of the segment in the world, we will offer the head offices of companies around the world the same quality that we already offer to their branches in Brazil.”

In the same way, EMA Partners can now count on Dasein’s standards of excellence when providing services to its clients in Brazil. “We will also contribute to attracting new business to Brazil, considering our international competitiveness, and targeting foreign companies that are already in the country, but want to expand their business.”

According to Dasein’s director, Daniel Rezende, joining EMA Partners, one of the leading global executive search and leadership consulting firms, is yet another goal achieved. “Being part of this group, which has more than 30 years of history and is active in all industrial sectors, will help us exceed our clients’ expectations with dedication, focus and passion. Dasein | EMA Partners Brazil has values that promote trust, honesty and open communication with clients and professional excellence through the highest degree of self-integrity.”

EMA in Brazil: recognition from the recruitment industry

In 2021, the main executive search consultancy firms operating in Brazil had an average growth rate above 40%, a sign of the sector’s strong importance for the evolution of companies and people. According to Adriana Prates, this growth reflects a market that has matured and become more professionalized.

“The requirements of the compliance sector, associated with the necessary ESG practices, push companies to take executive recruiting seriously. There is less room for hiring professionals who are not prepared and engaged to lead in such uncertain times. The more professionalized a company’s management model is, the more concerned it will be to have as a partner companies like EMA Partners Brazil | Dasein Executive Search that stand out for their ethics, modernity, openness, humanized service and appreciation of life.”

The entry of EMA Partners in Brazil, through the partnership with Dasein, represents new business possibilities with offices established in more than 30 countries. “Dasein now has unrestricted access to the global market, contributing to EMA’s growth while at the same time multiplying its own expansion opportunities. It is the right opportunity at the right time. We have always prepared for this moment. The day has arrived and it has arrived in great style,” underlines Prates.

27 years of Dasein: seven milestones that tell the story of the company

Opening headquarters in 1999. After only four years, Dasein built a personalized office, able to carry out its work with all the necessary confidentiality. Through an avant-garde architectural project, the comfort, ergonomics and safety of the team were prioritized. These factors improved the quality of life of the team, visitors and clients.

From specialized recruitment to executive search. In 2004, Dasein was growing consistently and working on projects from analysts to directors, but the objective was to change levels, to evolve from specialized recruiting to the complex scenario of Executive Search services in Brazil. Significant changes were made such as giving up important clients, bringing in a more senior team, hiring a top consulting firm for both management and processes. Investments were high and inputs were sharply reduced. “We had to be brave, bold and patient for the strategy to become robust to the point of materialization. Our processes went through a strong technical and technological evolution, we faced changes in almost all our customers. Between the time of planting and harvesting, there was a period of fear, but persisting in this direction proved to us, after two years, that the decision to be an executive search company and its unfoldings was Dasein’s real vocation. To take a step back in order to move forward several steps after a very challenging period. It’s necessary to take calculated risks and bet manyfold on the vision of the future and on intuition”, emphasizes Adriana Prates.

AESC International Certification. In 2009, we sought certification from the best and largest global association for executive search and development services for top leaders, AESC, present in over 70 countries. The goal was to have access to the best tools and standards of excellence in the world, to contribute to our evolution and leading-edge positioning. The process was extremely rigorous and at the end of a year Dasein was approved. “Since then, we have adhered to the standards of excellence in our segment, always being a few steps ahead of our competitors, being an effective solution to contribute to the continuous growth of our customers,” reports Adriana Prates.

Certification came in 2010 and, since then, besides assimilating and adopting the industry’s best practices, Dasein has also contributed as an AESC advisor. The company spent six years in the Americas Council and currently is part of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council for Latin America. “We are actively working to increase the number and strength of women in top management and board positions in the largest Brazilian organizations. Another guideline that we adhere to in a very direct way is the fight against ageism. For Dasein, a person only needs to stop working when they no longer want to or are no longer able to contribute to the evolution of people and organizations.”

Partnership with renowned leader Lee Ellis. In 2013, Dasein brought American writer and guru Lee Ellis to Brazil for the first time for a series of events celebrating the company’s 18th anniversary. According to Prates, “from this relationship a strong friendship and a great business partnership was born, in which we are the only consultancy outside the United States to be certified in the LBDNA assessment methodology, focused on the individual development of leaders and the composition of high-performance teams.”

Rebranding and communication channels. In 2020, Dasein hired one of the greatest brand specialists in Brazil, Thiago Colares, with the objective of reviewing the concepts of branding and market positioning. “We understood that we needed to change our relationship with our customers and community. From a deep diagnosis we launched the new brand, graphic concept, new communication channels with the capacity to dialogue face to face with all the publics of the most varied tribes, ages, opinions and vocations. A new Dasein was born that has deep respect for history, for the past, but that does not renounce the technological and procedural innovations that the new economy requires.”

Focus on ESG. In 2021, Dasein began regulations to adjust to ESG. “We have further professionalized our Board of Directors, with three independent directors, started annual audits and are in a deep process of adapting to all GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) requirements, modernizing the company in all spheres. Another aspect was the digitalization and official launch of our own methodology in order to provide all the necessary support to our clients’ Career & Succession programs. We launched the unprecedented product in the market, the D.East©, the most powerful tool in order to understand and develop the human potential for social transformation and fulfillment that it carries in its genesis,” stresses Prates.

Internationalization with Dasein | EMA Partners Brazil. The consultancy becomes part of one of the largest executive search groups in the world. As partners of EMA Partners, Dasein’s presence covers the 5 continents, more than 40 offices spread over 30 countries and exchanges with more than 200 senior consultants in order to serve customers in a local, global and fully customized manner.

Researching, identifying, recruiting and acting in the development of the managers that will lead the transformations that the market needs is one of the noblest missions of Dasein | EMA Partners Brazil. In an era marked by the re-signification of concepts, social, economic and cultural values, what companies most need is leadership committed not only to results, but also to the prosperity of its workforce and to the social changes so necessary to collective well-being.

According to Dasein’s CEO, Adriana Prates, it is increasingly important to identify and develop leadership profiles that adapt to this reality. “Leadership should not only develop in favor of your business, but also in favor of sustainability and social change. Those who exclusively seek the immediate benefits of their actions are connected to an outdated management style that urgently needs a review.”

Another style of leadership that needs to be rethought, according to Prates, is one stuck in hierarchy, which isn’t open to suggestions from the rest of the team. “Leaders who limit their role to just giving orders and who believe that their team’s only function is to obey them do not engage the professionals, do not make room for exchanges of information and ideas that could lead to great learning and the formulation of innovative projects. It is important that leaders establish a less vertical relationship and that they get closer to people, valuing healthy relationships and always being open to suggestions, innovation, and even feedback about their own leadership.”

According to Daniel Rezende, director of Dasein, companies are seeking leaders who are increasingly prepared for the future, with a strategic eye for trends and an attention to changes in the way society thinks, values and how people seek to live. “In this sense, as organizations begin to understand the urgency to value human capital, humanized leadership has been the focus. Humanized leaders are highly motivated people who like individuals capable of creating, along with their team, a cheerful and motivating environment, pleasant to work with and live together.”

Leadership should not only develop in favor of your business, but also in favor of sustainability and social change.

This leadership profile, according to the director, is represented by people who bring with them other desired qualities and competencies, such as ownership spirit, authenticity, collaboration and delegation, as well as possessing maturity, emotional intelligence and sensitivity. “They are capable of growing and making the people on their team grow and develop as the next leaders to achieve high performance. Dasein has always brought in its DNA the humanization that is based on respect and appreciation of the human being as a whole. This involves sensitivity and ethical, empathetic and responsible professional behavior.”

Leadership’s role is to seek the awareness of shareholders

According to Carlos Gonzales, CEO of OZ Minerals Brazil, to evolve today as a leader is also to seek the awareness of shareholders and other leaders in the sector in which its company operates. “The development of a project will only occur if all the parties are in harmony, from the point of view of the environment, the community, the employees, the supply chain that will serve you on site and the government.”

The executive tells that he has had many experiences in developing mining projects and has always had the clear perception that the tripod formed by the mining sector, community and government had full knowledge of what would be the ideal model, but ran into counterpoints and, in many cases, the mistrust that companies would really take the care stated in their conditions. “The initiative to include this agenda within the company’s values and strategic objectives brings the change of culture and the freedom for managers to have not only the commitment, but the care to contemplate all stakeholders as culture and part of their company’s business throughout the project cycle.”

For Gonzalez, the combination of loyalty, humility, empathy and good humor is of paramount importance in the work of leadership. When mentioning his own trajectory as a leader, he cites the importance that his family had in the development of these behaviors and the values he carries until today. Thinking about managers who want to develop their skills, he cites the following behaviors as fundamental:

Strategic business view: to have strong core knowledge, but to understand that issues peripheral to operations, such as ESG, must be within the company’s values and culture;

Effective communication: to be aligned with the strategic objectives of the company and communicate them so that everyone feels part of and imbued with the same objectives and goals;

Resilience: to give confidence to the teams, maintaining the realistic vision that the moment requires to overcome difficult situations;

Team building: to change parts, when necessary, and motivating them to achieve an environment of well-being and team victory. Knowing how to value talents, providing the adequate development of their careers so that they have the proper professional ascension and, this way, creating relationships that many times go beyond the professional field.

The combination of loyalty, humility, empathy and good humor is of paramount importance in the work of leadership.

The challenge of creating true connections

Managing an increasingly decentralized workforce is also one of the great challenges that leaders face in this redefining world. For the executive manager of Totvs, Marilena Cancelier, the changes in recent years in work models have put managers in a proactive place of new discoveries about how to work and lead. “The main challenge lies in how to generate and manage implicit knowledge, one that is not formalized, that is passed through hallway encounters, in the elevator, at lunch, in the coffee shop, in the meeting, in the pre-meeting room. In these moments, we connect and many exchanges take place, and a lot of knowledge is generated. In the current context, with hybrid models, I understand that we have the challenge of identifying the model and the rituals that best connect people and promote exchanges and generate new knowledge.”

Another important factor to consider, according to the leader, is the particularity of each person. “We have generations who started their careers in the remote model and others who have experienced face-to-face and now remote experiences. And these are different work profiles that require different leadership postures. Therefore, nothing is definitive and unanimous. What I think is fundamental is to have this level of awareness about the different profiles and how intentional we need to be to create true connections with our teams.”

Cancelier says that, in the remote model, a revision of the daily management rituals was necessary, including exclusive moments to generate the “warmth” even when not being with every face-to-face team. And in this revision, she considers the following important:

Having good tools: to enable good meetings (screens, headsets, internet, chair, table, adequate space) and that minimize risks of technical interruptions;

Best practice agreements: that are built and consequently adopted by all, for example, avoid other distractions and keep the focus on what was proposed in that meeting, with clarity of the objective, expected outputs;

Always consider the hybrid environment in any event: If a coffee will be served to those who are face-to-face, how can this same experience be guaranteed for those who are remote?

“I understand that the focus should be on generating a feeling of belonging, of feeling present, even if this means not being locally in the same space, establishing true connections. The consequence is collaboration and development,” says Cancelier.

How to leverage women’s skills in companies?

According to Marilena Cancelier, there are many studies and reports that prove that in the essence of the feminine and its history there are many of the skills of great value for leadership and management positions. “Therefore, the first awareness needed is that it’s not just about increasing the number of women in leadership, it’s about leveraging and harnessing female management skills for business success.”

According to her, the crucial point for these skills to be used in the career and build the professional journey to leadership, middle and senior management positions is focused on two main factors: “First of all, I understand that to identify in ourselves our limiting beliefs is a self-awareness exercise. Many times, they prevent us from exploring our full potential, from positioning ourselves and believing we have the competencies to take on the challenges that leadership positions present to us. Breaking down these internal barriers is an important step towards opening ourselves to every challenge that will come from the external environment. And at this point, actions that promote self-knowledge, that allow us to act on the syndromes that we have carried throughout our history, such as the imposter syndrome, a term that is often talked about nowadays, will create safe environments for women to put the competencies in favor of the companies’ challenges. After all, we also carry a lot of our history and I realize that in many situations we also need to educate ourselves.”

Another factor that Mariana Cancelier considers relevant in this journey of development and ascension is to promote environments where we have equal opportunities for all minorities. “At this point, we need to go deep, because it’s not just about providing the same opportunity for everyone. It’s critical to consider context.”

It’s not just about increasing the number of women in leadership, it’s about leveraging and harnessing female management skills for business success.

To exemplify this, she shares an experience related to female leadership. “At the end of a performance evaluation cycle where there were appropriate leadership promotions, a female leader was not promoted in position and salary because she was on maternity leave during the evaluation cycle. Thus, she was not evaluated because she did not effectively deliver results and consequently was not recognized. This professional is paying a career price for having chosen to be a mother. Therefore, she is no longer equal to her peers who were not removed and are now at a higher leadership level. It is as if they have moved a house ahead of her in the race for professional advancement. It is in these details that inclusion and equity policies need to act. It’s not about giving everyone the same opportunity. It’s about creating conditions so that everyone has the same access and is prepared for the same opportunities, considering the context.”

The differential of executive search in identifying the best leaders

According to Carlos Gonzalez, CEO of OZ Minerals Brasil, Dasein, in addition to its competence and experience in recruiting leaders, brings the “know how” of using tools that greatly assist in the correct definition of the candidate. “An important point to avoid mistakes is for the contracting party to construct the ideal profile that it wishes to have in its company and, thus, have an initial conversation with Dasein to establish, by technical criteria and personal competences, the ideal profile sought. From our own experience, when the initial conversation was done correctly, the experience with Dasein was excellent, because several names of people who fit the profile were immediately indicated, making the process more agile”.

For the executive manager of Totvs, Marilena Cancelier, little by little, professionals are getting rid of the work models created in the industrial era. “The moment is no longer about exchanging working hours for a salary. The time is now for the ‘perfect fit’: what I as an individual want for my life, within my ‘life design’ and aligned with my skills, competencies and aptitude for learning, and what the company needs me to develop, deliver to achieve business goals. In the end, this match needs to happen to be good for both sides. And in this process, having companies like Dasein that support this matching procedure and are facilitators of the adjustments needed for this story to begin and be lasting, with results and happiness, is undoubtedly a smart way to decrease the risks in hiring.”

One of humanity’s main challenges, the fight against poverty, has gone beyond the scope of public policies and is increasingly present in the agenda of large companies. Proof of this was the record contribution of R$ 5.3 billion in initiatives of social responsibility and sustainability recorded this year by the Gife Census (Grupo de Institutos, Fundações e Empresas – Group of Institutes, Foundations and Companies). The institute, which surveys private social investment in Brazil, points out that the volume of resources is 63% higher than projected for 2020.

Initiatives of social responsibility and sustainability, led by Brazilian companies, register a contribution record of BRL 5.3 billion in this year.

The numbers are encouraging and also reflect a paradigm shift among executives: the abandonment of the old mentality of focusing all efforts on financial return for shareholders is growing. Every day, renowned thinkers such as economist Milton Friedman (author of “The Social Responsibility of Business Is To Increase Its Profits”, one of the greatest business guides), give way to economists, theorists, and investors who see social justice as something inherent to capitalism.

This is the case of economist and banker Muhammad Yunus, who, in 2006, spread the concept of social business worldwide and won the Nobel Prize for it; or the now iconic Larry Fink, chief executive of BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager. It was he who drove the term ESG from being just talk to being charged as practice in the world’s leading corporations.

In 2019, the theme of his famous annual letter to CEOs was “Purpose & Profit.” In it, the executive, who has $9.5 trillion under his management, communicates that his investments will take into account, in addition to financial aspects, the social, environmental, and governance indicators of the companies.

Reinforcing the importance of Fink’s letter, Philipp Hildebrand, number two at BlackRock, also gained notoriety in the executive world by making a warning about the speed of environmental and social degradation and its consequences for the economy. According to him, world GDP will shrink by 25% in two decades if no brakes are put on climate change and increasing inequality.

The new guidelines imposed by investors (combined with the impacts of the pandemic) have caused the capital markets to witness a considerable migration of money into products and services that are related to environmental, social, and governance goals. Last year, a third of BlackRock’s $98 billion in net inflows in its latest quarter went into sustainable funds – and these are not only those linked to climate change, but also dedicated to reversing social inequalities.

It is not socio-environmental activism, it is capitalism

More than an impact speech, the letters signed by Larry Fink have the function of pressuring executives about the urgency of changing their mentality. In the most recent letter, entitled “The Power of Capitalism”, he clarifies that his position is not related to environmental or social militancy.

In his words, “we focus on sustainability not because we are environmentalists, but because we are capitalists and fiduciaries to our clients, who invest with BlackRock with long-term returns in mind.” Directly to CEOs, he reinforces, “stakeholder capitalism is not about politics. It’s not a social or ideological agenda. It’s not social justice. It’s capitalism, driven by mutually beneficial relationships between you and the employees, customers, suppliers, and communities your company depends on to thrive. That’s the power of capitalism.”

According to him, the just pursuit of profit is still what animates markets; and long-term profitability is the measure by which markets will determine your company’s success.

How do you drive social justice with your business?

Following Fink’s commandments, Brazilian companies go beyond philanthropy and lead long-term actions that will leave a legacy for society. Recently, “Época Negócios” launched the e-book “The power of innovation against poverty”, in which it lists the main examples of Brazilian companies in fighting poverty and developing sustainability. We share some of them with you:

Development and education. Over the next 10 years, the beverage manufacturer Ambev wants to train 5 million Brazilians through Projeto Bora. The initiative consists of a corporate university open to the community and assistance to small retailers afflicted by the pandemic. The school has already trained 5,000 professionals in the tech field over the last three years.

We focus on sustainability not because we are environmentalists, but because we are capitalists and fiduciaries to our clientes.

Backing up public schools. With Instituto XP, the investment platform created the Educação Financeira Transforma (Financial Education Transforms) program. In partnership with other social organizations and social impact companies, XP produces contents on the theme and distributes them to teachers and students of public schools. This year, R$ 24 million of XP’s own capital will be invested in the institute’s projects.

Decent housing. In partnership with the startup Vivenda, Gerdau’s goal is to renovate more than 13,000 vulnerable housing units in Brazil over the next 10 years. Among the benefited families, 70% will have access to credit at below-market interest rates. And the remaining 30% will have their home’s renovation paid for by the company.

Fighting hunger. Led by iFood, the program Todos à Mesa (Everyone to the Table) seeks to fight hunger and reduce the volume of food thrown away in Brazil. To this end, it has united large companies around the initiative, such as Bauducco, Carrefour Brasil, Danone, Camil, DPA, MDias Branco, Nestlé Brasil, Lopes Supermercado and Connecting Food. More than 3.4 thousand tons of food have already been donated to NGOs in several Brazilian states. Besides the donation of food, the project wants to articulate a favorable regulatory environment for food donation.

Welcoming women. Accor has joined the Avon Institute in the Acolhe (Welcome) Program to open its hotel chain to female victims of domestic violence and their children. The action is structured in five pillars: welcoming, accommodation, emotional support, training and empowerment, and a new beginning. By March of this year, almost one thousand full board nights were donated to 108 women in 11 Brazilian states.

Social product. This year, Nestlé launched a line of cereal and fruit bars with 100% of the profits going to the project Favela 3D: Digna, Digital e Desenvolvida (Favela 3D: Dignified, Digital and Developed), of the NGO Gerando Falcões, with works aimed at fighting poverty in the brazilian slums. The initiative is also intended to generate other examples as it is Nestlé’s first social product in the world.

World GDP will shrink by 25% in two decades if no brakes are put on climate change and increasing inequality.

Has anyone ever told you that you “look” like anything? “Young”, “angry”, “serious”, “stuck-up”, “nice”, “tired”, “sad”, etc.?

If so, let’s talk! The topic of this conversation is something very common: image noise!

First of all, it is worth clarifying this concept. Many professionals in the market, including in the image consulting area, deal with the noise of visual communication as if it were false information about the client. That is, some characteristic that, unjustly or mistakenly, is attributed to someone by the interlocutors. It’s the kind of feedback that has no relation to the subject.

But, in truth, this is not the case at all. Image noise is something that belongs to us; it is a genuine and true attribute of our being. A person who has an angry face, deep down, has their outbursts. On the other hand, the person who has a “gentle” face is in fact a kind, gentle, and welcoming person.

But if the attribute is true, why does it become noise?

Noise is not a false communication, but partial communication about the person. The attribute in question is so strong (both in looks and behavior) that it ends up appearing in the foreground, overshadowing the other characteristics of the individual.

Nobody has only one side, right?! Noise only performs this function because, most of the time, it prevents our interlocutors from perceiving our other personas.

And where does this noise come from?

It comes mainly from facial features! As I often say, the problem of “looking like something” can only be solved by the person themselves. To name a few examples, the noise can be associated with the shape or form of eyebrows, eyes, facial mimicry, smile or lack of it, among other characteristics. In short, there are many elements that can contribute to this, including the masculine and feminine energies manifested in our facial elements.

How do I know if I have image noise?

Just pay attention to the feedback you always get from the people around you. The recurrence of a certain type of comment means that this characteristic is the one that stands out in the overall look. Especially important are remarks made by people you have just met or those with whom you have interacted little. This is the kind of feedback that I call ” sincere” because it is spontaneous and has not yet been biased by the feelings involved in our relationships with close friends, family and partners. This is not to say that these people in close circles do not provide important insights for our self-knowledge. Quite the contrary! I just want to leave a caveat to the fact that, faced with the possibility of generating some discomfort, those who live more closely with us may end up refraining from expressing their opinion or constructive criticism.

Is it possible to work around image noise?

Of course! First of all, we have to identify which of our qualities overshadow the others. We must be aware that the noise in our communication is our own, and precisely because of this it is a characteristic that should not be overlooked. In other words, it is neither necessary nor desirable to eliminate image noise. It is part of our essence and our repertoire. In many cases it can be a great strength or even a point of behavioral balance.

So, to make the image noise lose its communication “monopoly,” we just need to make the other attributes and qualities show up as well. The strategy is to put a spotlight on the other facial and physical traits that will convey the other messages that are also part of our personas.

It is up to the professional who works with personal image (this includes, besides consultants, doctors, dentists, hairdressers, make-up artists, eyebrow designers, among others) to recognize the origin of the noises and work on the elements around the face, the clothing and the behavior that will make the noises align with the other characteristics, giving importance, in fact, to what is most important to one’s current phase of life!

Did you like this subject? Do you want to understand it more deeply? The series “Você tem cara de quê” (“What do you look like?”), which I made available on my Youtube channel, deals exactly with this topic. This content will help you think about your possible image noises and recognize their origin in your appearance, especially in your face.

If you want to chat, I’ll be waiting for you on my social networks!

Best Regards!

My father, Paulo, is 85 years old. He walks with difficulty and cannot hear. For a little over two years, he has been wearing a hearing aid. Or should be. Well, he hardly ever puts it on. Why is that? I don’t know. I have questioned him, but he always answers by trying to create labyrinths between the words, to fool me and make me never understand the reason why he refuses to use the accessory.

Not using this little device has its consequences. Day after day he becomes more and more absent from conversations. Recently, I received a message from the hospital. It was important. He needed to receive an infiltration in both legs and, because of his advanced age, this could only happen through an inpatient stay – and not at a clinic. It took weeks of waiting before the health plan authorized the procedure. But it was necessary for him to go to the hospital the same day to take the Covid test and then have the infiltration done. I called his house from the street, “Hello, Dad, I got a message from the hospital”. “What?” “Dad, a message from the hospital about your procedure. They finally cleared it.” “Hello? Message?”. “Dad, are you wearing your hearing aid?”. “What, daughter?” “Dad, call mom.” I took a deep breath, my throat already hurting from yelling so much, and finally talked to my mother. Scenes like this, when I scream and he still does not listen to me, have been normal in our routine. And they even make for some memes in the family’s whatsapp group, of which he is also a member, but never participates.

Not listening also makes him withdraw from people, on Sunday lunches or at birthday parties. He sits in some corner away from the laughter, the commotion, the exchanges. He participates little. Isolation. And this is an estrangement that hurts me. I always liked to talk to my father. About life, work, dreams, fears, doubts, joys, the plants that are doing well and the ones that are not. About so many things. But we always talked. A lot. The difficulty in making myself heard distances us. From the words.

I kept thinking about this when I accepted the invitation to write this article. I thought about the many times we fail to make room to listen to the other. In this case, not because of the absence of a hearing aid, but because we don’t make the other feel comfortable to approach and speak. Fear. We create relationships of power and fear. We put ourselves in a place above the other without even realizing it. The result is isolation – also without being aware of it. Not talking to the people around us, the ones we work with and relate to every day can be very damaging to what we do. And having a conversation is not the same as talking. It is exchange, it is openness, it is space to even know how to listen to what we don’t like. Mature relationships demand this.

With my father, I am now learning to relate through gestures, through a welcoming look, and by understanding his choices – so that they never scratch the love we have for each other. In professional relationships, the only way out is to put on your hearing aid and turn up the volume. And listen again. No matter what the other person has to say to us.