Between the Lines of Leadership · A Headhunter's Picks (34)
This time we're going to start a little differently. Today I want to celebrate with all of you the two years we've spent rowing together on this thrilling adventure called W Executive. For many of you, W Executive only came to life in March 2023, but the truth is this project started long before that, back when it was nothing more than an idea in my head.
At first, that's all it was: a "lone crazy guy" with a good idea. But everything changed the day I found my first follower, my first "believer": José Antonio Ortega . He was the first one to see what I saw, to get the vision of building a headhunting firm that didn't just look for talent, but cultivated it, developed it, and connected it with companies ready to grow and change.
The TED talk on the "Dancing Guy" is exactly about this: how the first follower is the one who turns a crazy person into a leader, into someone who's building a movement. José Antonio was that first follower for W Executive. And that leads me to three key lessons I've learned over these two years:
1. An idea has no power without the first follower
Having a good idea is just the start. At first, that idea can look lonely, or even crazy, to everyone else. But it's the first follower who legitimizes the vision, the one who says: "Yes, this makes sense, this can change things." In the case of W Executive, José Antonio didn't just believe in the idea, he made it his own. That turned something abstract into a concrete project, with direction and, most importantly, with more people ready to join in.
2. The first follower is, in fact, a leader
It's not just that the first follower backs you, it's that they become a leader in their own right. The first follower is crucial because they show everyone else that this isn't about following one person, it's about believing in a shared vision. In our case, José Antonio became a leader in himself, pulling more people into the movement and helping build what W Executive is today. His leadership was key to structuring the company, to defining the W Culture, our cornerstone. This culture isn't just a set of values or rules, it's the very essence of how we work and how we want to impact the market: with transparency, excellence, and the firm belief that talent isn't retained, it's cultivated and pushed toward new opportunities.
3. Culture as the cornerstone of the movement
No movement can hold up without a solid culture to guide it. At W Executive España , from day one, culture has been the cornerstone that gives coherence and meaning to what we do. The W Culture hasn't just attracted more followers, it's been the engine that keeps us constantly evolving. By focusing on collaboration, mutual growth, and an environment where people are valued for their potential, we've built something bigger than just a company: we've created a space where talent flourishes. In our culture, the key is to enjoy the journey. It's not just about hitting goals, it's about walking the road alongside good people who chase excellence. That idea, that the journey matters as much as the destination, has been the engine behind every step we take. It's what makes working at W Executive España more than just a job, but a shared and valuable experience.
4. Growing the movement comes down to adding more people with purpose
As more people joined the cause, W Executive stopped being an individual dream and became a collective movement. And this is where the difference shows: a movement doesn't grow because of the original leader alone, it grows because of the people who, like José Antonio, believe deeply in the purpose and pass it on. Every new person who joins isn't just one more body, but someone who brings their own vision and energy to keep expanding the idea. That's what's taken us from a small group of dreamers to a team of 60 committed professionals. And, the most exciting part, we have the ambition to be 100 people by 2025, all united by a common purpose.
Over these two years, we've gone from a handful of people with a mission to a solid team that's already making a difference in the market. We're not stopping here. Our goal is clear: keep adding talent, keep growing, and do it with the same spirit of collaboration and purpose that got us this far.
Today I want to invite you, if you haven't already, to be part of this story. To keep believing, like José Antonio did, that W Executive isn't just a headhunting firm, but a movement that transforms lives, where the W Culture is the foundation that holds us up and drives us into the future. In this culture, what matters most is enjoying the journey alongside people who share our values and our ambitions.
Are you in?
