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Check-in with Jessica Aja

Last week, at Mercado Media Network’s (Mercado Magazine) 40 Under 40 2025 event, I experienced one of those moments that force you to pause and reevaluate what it means to lead today. Amid brilliant conversations, one phrase struck me deeply:

“Leadership is not a technical act. It is a moral act.”

Albert Rivera shared this during his talk, and it was a powerful reminder: in a world where everything changes rapidly, the true compass of leadership isn’t skill—it’s character. Leading today means acting with integrity, inspiring through example, and creating environments where people can grow.

The Ten Commandments of Leadership in Times of Change
Below are the ten principles Rivera shared, integrated with the reality of leading in complex, human, and constantly changing environments:

1. Setting an Example
“A leader must have moral authority.” Consistency carries more weight than any speech.

2. Inspiration
“To inspire is to make your project their own.” An inspired team doesn’t work for goals; it works for meaning.

3. Team Management
“Without teams, there is no leader.” Leadership isn’t proclaimed; it’s bestowed upon you.

4. Adaptability
“Intelligence is measured by the ability to adapt.” Flexible, yes. But with clear roots.

5. Lifelong Learning
“A leader wants to learn constantly.” When you stop learning, you stop leading.

6. Humility + Ambition
“Humility is necessary, but you must be ambitious to dream of the sky.” Be grateful for what we have while building what we imagine.

7. Innovation
“Leaders innovate.” But not because it’s trendy: because of courage.

8. Decision-Making
“If you want to be a leader, you must know how to make decisions.” Even when it’s uncomfortable.

9. Strategic Vision
“Manage the present by thinking further ahead than others.” Leadership looks where others do not yet look.

10. Communication
“You must know how to tell the story, and know to whom and how to do it.” A vision only becomes collective when it is communicated well.

What does it mean to lead today?
Today, leadership means combining ambition with empathy, technology with humanity, and purpose with strategy. It means asking ourselves every day: What can I do to bring out the best in others?

And continuing to cultivate that blend of humility and courage that allows us to say, “Why not?” in the face of every new opportunity.

My biggest takeaway from the 40 Under 40 2025
Beyond the recognition, this is what I take away: Leadership today doesn’t depend on the title you hold, but on the impact you make.

It’s not about knowing more, but about being more: more consistent, more human, more courageous, more strategic.

To lead today is to serve. To lead today is to inspire. To lead today is to create the conditions for others to shine. And, above all… To lead today is to dare to think a little further than others.