I only have one

"Would you be interested in acting in public office or politics?" they asked me at a lively dinner, while I gave my enthusiastic opinion on contemporary geopolitical and economic issues. 

To justify my negative answer, I shared a story I once heard from Marcos Lutz, the great executive former president of the Ultra and Cosan groups. Rubens Ometto, Cosan's main shareholder, asked Lutz why he had stepped down as CEO of the group, since the relationship between the two was very good and the group offered interesting challenges.

"Rubens, if I had three or four lives, one of them I would certainly dedicate entirely to the Cosan group. The problem is that I only have one."

Luciano Siani Pires

Linkedin post. May 2025

Original in Portuguese: “Você teria interesse em atuar em cargos públicos ou na política?”, me perguntaram num jantar animado, enquanto eu opinava entusiasmado sobre temas geopolíticos e econômicos contemporâneos. 

Para justificar minha resposta negativa, compartilhei uma história que ouvi certa vez de Marcos Lutz, o grande executivo ex-presidente dos grupos Ultra e Cosan. Rubens Ometto, principal acionista da Cosan, perguntou a Lutz por que havia deixado o cargo de CEO do grupo, uma vez que a relação entre os dois era muito boa e que o grupo oferecia desafios interessantes.

“Rubens, se eu tivesse três ou quatro vidas, uma delas eu certamente dedicaria inteiramente ao grupo Cosan. O problema é que eu só tenho uma”.

primary test of leadership

Grading the importance of various initiatives in an environment of finite resources is a primary test of leadership.

Derek Lidow

"A Better Way to Set Strategic Priorities," Harvard Business Review. February 13, 2017

empathic communication

Business practices evolve rapidly, but there’s one technique business leaders should always rely on to effectively motivate and lead: empathic communication. Develop and show empathy for everyone involved in your corporate transition, and you’ll lead a team that feels valued, included, and driven to help your initiative succeed.

Patti Sanchez

"The Secret to Leading Organizational Change Is Empathy," Harvard Business Review. December 20, 2018

acknowledge fears

While you may need to keep some facts private during a transition, the general rule is that the more informed your people are, the more they’ll be able to deal with discomfort. So, learn about your team’s specific fears, then acknowledge them openly.  

Patti Sanchez

"The Secret to Leading Organizational Change Is Empathy," Harvard Business Review. December 20, 2018

how information is communicated

When I sat down with the CEO and her executive team to think through their communication plan, I asked not about the change itself, but about how her employees might feel about what’s ahead. We started with her team because, in my work as a communication consultant, I’ve observed the same thing time and time again: how information is communicated to employees during a change matters more than what information is communicated. A lack of audience empathy when conveying news about an organizational transformation can cause it to fail.

Patti Sanchez

"The Secret to Leading Organizational Change Is Empathy," Harvard Business Review. December 20, 2018

the possibilities to become

Jesus believed in his followers, not alone for what they were, but for what they had the possibilities to become. While others would have seen Peter as a fisherman, Jesus could see him as a powerful religious leader—courageous, strong—who would leave his mark upon much of mankind. In loving others, we can help them to grow by making reasonable but real demands of them. Jesus gave people truths and tasks that were matched to their capacity. He did not overwhelm them with more than they could manage, but gave them enough to stretch their souls. Jesus was concerned with basics in human nature and in bringing about lasting changes, not simply cosmetic changes.

Spencer W. Kimball

"Jesus, The Perfect Leader" January 15, 1977. From an address delivered to the Young Presidents organization, Sun Valley, Idaho. 

time and self-mastery

Wise time management is really the wise management of ourselves.

Spencer W. Kimball

"Jesus, The Perfect Leader" January 15, 1977. From an address delivered to the Young Presidents organization, Sun Valley, Idaho. 

growth through shared work

Jesus knew how to involve his disciples in the process of life. He gave them important and specific things to do for their development. Other leaders have sought to be so omnicompetent that they have tried to do everything themselves, which produces little growth in others. Jesus trusts his followers enough to share his work with them so that they can grow. That is one of the greatest lessons of his leadership. If we brush other people aside in order to see a task done more quickly and effectively, the task may get done all right, but without the growth and development in followers that is so important. Because Jesus knows that this life is purposeful and that we have been placed on this planet in order to perform and grow, growth then becomes one of the great ends of life as well as a means.

Spencer W. Kimball

"Jesus, The Perfect Leader" January 15, 1977. From an address delivered to the Young Presidents organization, Sun Valley, Idaho. 

Listening with Perfect Love

Jesus was a listening leader. Because he loved others with a perfect love, he listened without being condescending. A great leader listens not only to others, but also to his conscience and to the promptings of God.

Spencer W. Kimball

"Jesus, The Perfect Leader" January 15, 1977. From an address delivered to the Young Presidents organization, Sun Valley, Idaho. 

“Do What I Do” Leadership

Jesus said several times, ‘Come, follow me.’ His was a program of ‘do what I do,’ rather than ‘do what I say.’ His innate brilliance would have permitted him to put on a dazzling display, but that would have left his followers far behind. He walked and worked with those he was to serve. His was not a long-distance leadership. He was not afraid of close friendships; he was not afraid that proximity to him would disappoint his followers. The leaven of true leadership cannot lift others unless we are with and serve those to be led. Jesus kept himself virtuous, and thus, when his closeness to the people permitted them to touch the hem of his garment, virtue could flow from him.

Spencer W. Kimball

"Jesus, The Perfect Leader" January 15, 1977. From an address delivered to the Young Presidents organization, Sun Valley, Idaho. 

swap the battlefield for the boardroom.

CEOs love a good war metaphor — “battlegrounds,” “offensives,” “fighting for market share.” It sounds bold. Strategic. Even inspiring.

But new research from João Cotter Salvado and Donal Crilly shows that this language may backfire — especially with financial analysts.

📉 Analysts interpret war metaphors not as strength, but as signals of recklessness and risk. In fact, just a 1% uptick in war-related language can lead to a 20% increase in negative analyst sentiment.

In volatile markets or for dominant firms, the effect is even worse.

💡 The takeaway? Words matter. Especially when the audience is trained to assess risk.

👉 Leaders: Swap the battlefield for the boardroom. Choose metaphors that signal stability, not chaos.

João Cotter Salvado and Donal Crilly

"Research: When CEOs Use War Metaphors, Analysts Worry," Harvard Business Review. January 3, 2025

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