Tango

IE Business School leadership professor Margarita Mayo uses tango dancing as a metaphor to speak about leadership.

In this video IE Business School leadership professor Margarita Mayo uses tango dancing as a metaphor to speak about leadership. She draws an interesting comparison between the two from the perspective of the dancer’s role in tango.

The origin of the word tango has always intrigued me. There are many theories about its roots. One is that it is actually an onomatopoeic term because the word tango sounds like the drums used in early forms of the dance. Opposers of this theory say that the drum was never a typical tango instrument. The first tango instruments were the violin, guitar, flute, and later a concertina-style instrument called the bandoneon.

Another theory is that the word tango originated from the Italian word tangere, which means ‘to touch’. However, considering that early tango did not feature the close embrace it is known for today, the word tangere is hardly likely to be the origin.

Some say that the most plausible theory is that which claims the word tango has African roots. In several African languages, tango means indoors – the closed space which was used for dancing… Well, who knows. The fact is that tango has become a dance form that is admired the world over.

Maybe we can’t be certain about the origin of the word tango, but one thing is for sure and that is that the world needs meaningful leadership. Listen to what Prof. Mayo has to say about both. You might end up wanting to dance with her just like Prof. Burak Konyuncu from Rouen Business School did.

The Flow of Management

IE Business School Prof. Juan Humberto Young Elser talking about Management and Aikido.

There are certain people you meet in life that make you feel you could tell them anything. I call them “Divan People” because it’s as if there were an irresistible force pulling you towards them and causing you to talk as freely as if you were on a psychologist’s Couch. This is the case of Juan Humberto Young Elser, IE Business School Prof. of Positive Leadership & Strategy. When he looks at you, he looks deep into your heart. I know it isn’t possible for him to look at you right this minute, but if you listen to what he has to say you will probably see what I mean.

Prof. Humberto Young Elser graduated from Harvard, spent years at UBS, and now runs his own investment consulting firm. He does kick-boxing, yoga, and aikido. Everything he does seems to flow in the same direction, and he explains how important this flow concept is not only for aikido, but also for management.

One of the secrets of his success appears to be that he never stops learning (he is currently taking a course on mindfulness based cognitive therapy at Oxford University. When I said that I thought it was too late for me to start with Aikido he said “You really think so? I started with Aikido when I was 54. It’s not as late as you think…”.

Enjoy the flow!!!

Snow Woman

IE Business School Prof. Conchita Galdón talking about Social Entrepreneurship while skillfully skiing.

Cherchez la femme is a French expression which literally means “look for the woman.” If I had to look for Entrepreneurship Prof. Conchita Galdón, I don’t think I would ever get hold of her. You only have to watch her ski to know what I am talking about.

The expression was coined by Alexandre Dumas in the novel The Mohicans of Paris, in 1864, and offers a succinct definition of any piece of detective pulp fiction, namely that no matter what the problem is there is usually a woman behind it. In the world of cinema it has come to refer to explanations that are always based on the same root cause, no matter what the problem is. Anyway, don’t get me wrong. There was no problem with Prof. Conchita Galdón, apart from finding it impossible to keep up with her without the help of skilful and friendly ski instructor Jorge Sánchez-Seco, who you’ll see at the beginning of this video.

Prof. Galdón is thoughtful and conscientious as a researcher, as she is focused on helping people. She co-founded Puentes Global which uses the power of social entrepreneurship to help individuals and organizations make the most of their international mobility experience. She studied economics, holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration and International Development from Harvard, and is real fun.
She said that “nothing beats nature”. That’s definitely one to remember!