Between the Lines of Leadership · A Headhunter's Picks (59)
Some decisions never get announced. You make them in silence.
And then there are the ones that, once you say them out loud, there's no going back.
This year-end isn't about numbers or scorecards. It's about a personal decision. And about why committing to what matters, out in the open, changes the road you walk.
Thank you for walking with me
Before I go on, let me start with what matters most.
A little over two years ago I kicked off this newsletter with almost no expectations. A reflection. A story. A film. A book. And one idea that kept coming back, over and over: cultivating talent starts with cultivating yourself.
Today, more than 4,000 of us read these lines. And that's no small thing.
Thank you for the warmth, for the DMs, for the respect, for the feedback and for the tough love too. Without me planning it, this newsletter has turned into a space for conversation, reflection and, above all, shared accountability. And in a world that's fast and constantly changing, that's worth a lot.
A commitment I actually kept
In chapter 53 ( https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/cierro-una-etapa-manu-soriano-tgirf/?trackingId=Ypq49S3HTES2fCwOp1LIGQ%3D%3D) I shared something personal. Not to show off. As a commitment.
(Photo from May 2025)
I said I was starting a health challenge. I said I wouldn't bore anyone to death with the process. And I said I'd come back once I'd walked the road.
Photo from December 2025
Today, at year-end, I can say it calmly and with quiet pride:
- I weigh 84.5 kg
- I've lost 36 kilos since I started
- I've cut close to 50% of the body fat I began with
(Monthly averages, December 24th bottoming out at 84.5kg :))
But the number isn't the point. What matters is how I feel along the way.
I've learned something that's stuck with me: the focus can't be only on the goal, it has to be on how you walk toward it.
I'm now moving into a new phase, more about exercise, movement and energy. Not from obsession, but from enjoyment. From respect for the body that carries me every day.
Body, mind and soul: the real balance
We talk a lot about purpose, but sometimes we mistake it for a goal. And it isn't.
Purpose is a direction, a north. A way of deciding how you want to live even when the context shifts, and it shifts fast.
This year confirmed something I already sensed: there's no sustainable professional growth without personal balance. There's no solid leadership without inner coherence. And there's no strong culture when the person leading pulls one way and their life pulls another.
It's not about perfection. It's about alignment.
Body, mind and soul aren't abstract concepts. They're connected systems. When you neglect one, the others end up paying for it.
Enjoying the road (for real)
My purpose is still the same one I shared back then:
Enjoy the road, own my destiny, and stay true to my values.
That purpose isn't about arriving. It's about how you walk.
About staying flexible in a world that's fast and constantly changing. About adapting without losing your north. About accepting that you can't control everything, but you do get to choose where you respond from.
We're living it inside our own company too: growth, automation, new challenges, more complexity… and the constant need to enjoy the ride while we build.
Because if you don't enjoy the process, success becomes a gilded cage.
Sharing it live: the value of being a speaker
This year also handed me something I didn't expect to enjoy so much: getting to share all of this live, as a speaker, with teams and organizations.
Talking about the world of Cultivating Talent, about leadership, purpose, culture, coherence and personal growth with companies that couldn't be more different from one another, that's been deeply enriching.
Not just for what you give, but for what you get back. Every conversation, every question, every attentive silence from the room hands you something genuinely valuable: perspective.
You confirm that, beyond trends, titles or sectors, we're all still looking for the same thing: meaning, balance, and the sense that the road we're on is worth it.
And when that connects, you feel it. In the energy. In the conversations. And in what happens next. (If anyone wants to bring these conversations into their organization, drop me a DM.)
Accountability: saying it out loud matters
Sharing this process wasn't selfless. It was, in part, selfish. And I'll own that.
Committing publicly helped me not lose focus, not negotiate with myself, and keep going even on the days the motivation wasn't there.
And that brings me to another commitment I want to leave here, in writing.
Looking ahead with my feet on the ground
Next year I want to keep enjoying my family the way I did this one. Keep growing as a person. And keep building a company that's now almost 80 professionals, closing in on 10 million in revenue, but above all, building something worth living from the inside.
There'll be new milestones. There'll be more challenges. And there'll be mistakes, for sure.
But if there's one thing I'm clear on, it's this:
Cultivating talent isn't about getting someone there faster, it's about helping them walk in the right direction without losing themselves.
Thank you for being here. Thank you for reading. Thank you for walking with me.
See you in these lines next year. With more health. More focus. And the same north.
HAPPY NEW YEAR from the NORTH 😉
Cantabria, December 2025. Happy New Year!
