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HOST: This leadership development podcast is brought to you by: Ovi Vasquez, Inspirational Leadership Keynote Speaker. Fatherless farm boy from rural Guatemala—Inspiring teams to peak performance. He challenges teams to embrace change and step into bold leadership through leadership culture. He grew up in a village without electricity, learned English in two years, graduated from high school in three years, earned a B.A. in management, in two years. Ovi has worked for Apple, Tesla, Salesforce, and Uber. He is a TEDx speaker, author, and social entrepreneur.

GUEST BIO: Meet Dr. Emiliana Vegas, Professor of Practice and Chair of the Education Policy and Analysis Program at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and Founding Director of the Education Lab for Latin America and the Caribbean. A global expert in education reform and international development, Dr. Vegas has led education divisions at the Inter-American Development Bank and now brings Harvard research to solve complex challenges in low- and middle-income countries.

Find our guest at: https://www.emilianavegas.com
Find our host at: https://www.ovinspires.com

Leadership Keywords: executive leadership, international development, education policy, change management, talent retention, psychological safety, communication skills, global leadership, resilience, values-driven leadership

Leadership Summary: In this episode, Dr. Emiliana Vegas defines leadership as earning followers through trust, guidance, and credibility. Drawing from her upbringing in Caracas, Venezuela, her parents’ commitment to education, and her journey from Harvard doctoral student to Harvard professor, she explains how intentional mentorship, resilience through adversity, and strong communication skills shape impactful leaders. Her insights apply directly to executives navigating change, retention, and organizational performance.

10 Takeaways on Leadership
✅ Leadership requires followers and trust
✅ Strong communication builds credibility
✅ Be a people person with substance
✅ Technical skills and collaboration must coexist
✅ Provide autonomy with guidance
✅ Safe feedback strengthens teams
✅ Protect high performers
✅ Address low performance directly
✅ Resilience grows through adversity
✅ Live with urgency and purpose

5 Titles for Leadership
✅ Leadership With Substance and Trust
✅ From Caracas to Harvard
✅ Why Communication Is a Leader’s Superpower
✅ Protecting High Performers
✅ Resilience Shapes Real Leaders

5 Sound Bites for Leadership
🗣 “Leadership is having followers who trust you.”
🗣 “Be a people person with substance.”
🗣 “Education is the one thing no one can take from you.”
🗣 “Provide autonomy with support.”
🗣 “Don’t wait to do important things.”

10 Chapters on Leadership
00:00 – Meet Dr. Emiliana Vegas
01:17 – Defining Leadership
02:00 – Growing Up in Caracas
03:01 – Harvard Doctoral Mentorship
05:22 – Family and Education Values
07:35 – Leading Without Formal Authority
11:36 – Resilience and Personal Loss
14:10 – Top Leadership Skills
16:13 – Retaining High Performers
18:39 – Book and Final Reflections

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