What does it take to build influential leadership, scale a thriving culture, and bring organizational values to life in a fast-paced startup environment?
In this episode, Marko Gargenta sits down with Victoria Sevilla, Head of Global Talent Development at Celestial AI, to share insights on building effective leadership practices, fostering resilient teams, and creating values-driven organizations.
Victoria’s career spans from academia, where she taught communication and leadership dynamics, to corporate leadership roles at VMware and now at Celestial AI. Her experiences provide a valuable lens for understanding how leaders can balance structure and adaptability while guiding their teams through growth and transformation.
🔑 Leadership Influence vs. Authority: Lessons from Celestial AI
Victoria explores the concept of “Power With” vs. “Power Over” and how true leadership relies on influence rather than control. She discusses the importance of knowledge-sharing cultures, where leaders empower teams through transparency and trust rather than gatekeeping information.
She emphasizes that creating a collaborative environment starts with open communication and brave leadership—qualities essential for building high-performing teams in any organization.
📖 Further Reading: A New Approach to Leadership Development with Victoria Sevilla
📊 From Academia to Corporate: Lessons in Leadership Development
Victoria reflects on her transition from teaching communication and leadership at San Jose State University to leading large-scale leadership programs at VMware.
She shares how her background in evidence-based research and social sciences provided her with tools to design leadership frameworks rooted in behavioral science, ensuring initiatives are effective and aligned with business objectives.
🤝 Operationalizing Company Values at Scale
One of the key challenges in fast-growing companies is turning core values into everyday behaviors. Victoria explains how values-driven recognition programs, clear communication from leadership, and consistent reinforcement through performance reviews create alignment across teams.
Operationalizing values isn’t a one-time effort—it’s a continuous practice that requires commitment from leadership and buy-in from every team member.
📖 Explore Leadership Culture: Jumpstart Your Training Programs with Value Based Learning
🌟 Anti-Fragility: Thriving Through Challenges
Victoria introduces the concept of anti-fragility—the ability to grow stronger through challenges and uncertainty. In startup environments like Celestial AI, anti-fragile leaders approach problems as opportunities to innovate and grow, fostering a mindset of resilience across teams.
This mindset ensures that organizations remain adaptable, even in times of rapid change and ambiguity.
🛠️ Key Takeaways from Victoria Sevilla on Leadership and Culture
✅ Leading with Influence, Not Control: Creating trust-driven leadership environments.
✅ Operationalizing Values Effectively: Turning company values into daily behaviors.
✅ Anti-Fragile Mindset: Thriving through uncertainty and change.
✅ Curiosity in Leadership: Staying adaptable and fostering open communication.
✅ Recognition Programs for Culture: Reinforcing positive behaviors in teams.
✅ Resilience and Adaptability: Building strong foundations for long-term success.
🎧 Why Listen to This Episode?
Whether you’re an HR leader, startup founder, or someone passionate about leadership and organizational culture, this episode offers actionable strategies for building scalable, resilient teams.
Victoria shares how leadership influence, values alignment, and psychological safety create thriving organizations where people feel safe, seen, and connected.
If you’re looking to understand how leadership principles can drive sustainable organizational success, this episode is packed with valuable lessons for leaders at every stage.
🔗 Connect with Victoria Sevilla:
🔗 Connect with Marko and PlusPlus:
- Website: https://plusplus.co
