À l’occasion du Mois du patrimoine latino-américain, nous mettons en lumière des parcours inspirants.
Celui de Mateus Puttini, participant de l’EMBA McGill-HEC Montréal, en est un bel exemple. Ses racines brésiliennes nourrissent un leadership empreint d’authenticité, d’écoute et d’empathie — des qualités qui, pour lui, ne sont pas seulement humaines, mais stratégiques.
« Being a Latino leader fills me with pride and keeps me honest about my own quirks. Immigrating sharpened that honesty. Living outside Brazil made me feel more Brazilian than ever, because the simple things I took for granted suddenly stood out. The way I greet people, the rhythm of my speech, the instinct to build rapport before getting down to business, all of it became visible to me and to others. What once felt ordinary turned into a mirror, and in that reflection I found both my edges and my advantages.
At the core of my leadership sits empathy. I grew up in a culture where the value of your relationships comes first, with family, friends, workmates, and partners. You learn to read the room, to notice who has not spoken yet, to make space so people can show up as themselves. That habit is not a soft skill; it is a strategic one. Trust compounds; once people feel respected, they move faster together and carry more weight without breaking.
Immigrating also pushed me to learn in many tongues. Speaking multiple languages gave me capabilities I did not expect, such as the ability to switch mental models quickly and to hear what people mean, not just what they say. You become a better translator of ideas, a better listener in conflict, and a better designer of messages that land in different contexts. Language study gave me humility, too, since every accent carries a lesson in patience, grit and empathy.
I keep my idiosyncrasies close, not as excuses, but as tools. Warmth helps me open doors. Curiosity helps me cross them. Empathy keeps people walking with me after the door closes. If leadership is the art of moving others toward a purpose, then my Latino and Brazilian roots are not side notes; they are the source material, making me more capable, more human, and more ready to build something that lasts. »
