We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Yesenia Sevilla a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Yesenia thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Looking back on your career, have you ever worked with a great leader or boss? We’d love to hear about the experience and what you think made them such a great leader.

Very early in my career, I had a unique boss nicknamed “Bud.” He believed that the customer was always right, and that if we could create a unique experience for them – then we could create raving fans forever. He pushed us to perfect our deliverables down to the eleventh hour – literally having us change collaterals the night before an event. Sourcing unique flowers if he knew a guest or keynote had favorites, and the list would go on.

Bud, however, never pushed us to do something, he would not also join in and do himself. We always jumped in to finish the last mile together. He extolled each team members efforts in front of the clients. Bud made sure that clients knew that every member of his team had pulled the final deliverable towards that perfection they so admired. He introduced me to the book, “Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds, and Actions” by Guy Kawasaki.

I have since modeled myself on the premise that if we enchant others with our actions, deliverables and attitudes, we can accomplish more, we can connect more and we can innovate better.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am a TEDx speaker, with over 25+ years of experience in leadership roles across varying global biotech and healthcare industries, consulting, and innovation in higher education. My career has been a journey across opportunities, not linear steps, as I began to weave my strengths into each role I took on: input, responsibility, belief, arranger, and individualization.

Connector | Innovator | Collaborator | Builder | Leader – that is who I am. I believe in building inclusive innovation ecosystems, and that connecting each other through collaborations that work for everyone creates sustainable communities. I support these efforts through working with minority & female led start-ups on their innovation mindset and connecting them to resources within the ecosystem, I mentor minority & female entrepreneurs, I am a keynote speaker, and I lead the mentorship program for the Wond’ry Innovation Center at Vanderbilt University.

Our collective & individual differences are assets to problem solving now and in the future. We need all people with good ideas and dedication to solve problems, lead teams, to create impact and get things done. I am most proud of my ability to see these assets and connect them to where they might be most valued. Everyone deserves to be seen.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Resilience is a funny word that can mean toughness, but really it means the ability to flex through difficulty and then resume your previous form or shape afterwards. I’ve always thought that although I am resilient, I never resume my original shape. I do think I learn and adapt, and maybe improve my form each time.

I have had to survive M&A layoffs (two of them), separation agreements (everybody agrees to part ways), sexual harassment, hostile work environments, workplace inequities and having my work go unrecognized and attributed to others.

What I chose to do after each incident above has made all the difference in who I am and how I can make an impact now. It does not come easy, even now there is a process for resilience: acknowledge the pressure of the difficulty, feel all the things, flex, stretch, breathe, and then resume your practice of enchantment.

Improve yourself without losing yourself.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Reputation – that slippery slope nowadays with social media, etc.

One thing holds true – if you aim to do the right thing right, the first time, every time. you have a great start to establishing your reputation. I’ve always treated people to the platinum rule – treat others as they would want to be treated. It’s about them, not you. Anticipate their needs – and deliver at your fullest capacity.

Interestingly – and most importantly – this is delivered best when you set your own boundaries. Be transparent about where your boundaries are, why the are, and how important they are to you. If I can’t deliver something for you, I will find you someone who can and connect you to that resource personally.

Consistency matters.

Contact Info:

• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yesibsevilla/
• Youtube: https://youtu.be/X4SR0npn4Pk?si=_YSB5tAuxL5rHIui

Image Credits
Daniel Meigs, Vanderbilt University, TEDxOldHickory