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Managing teams since your 20s: how did you learn to be a strong leader?

Managing teams since your 20s: how did you learn to be a strong leader?

At just 20 years old, Nitya Fajardo began her journey in leadership while managing sales teams in real estate, an environment dominated by individuals aged 35 to 40. Initially, her leadership style was authoritarian, stemming from insecurity and the challenge of leading more experienced colleagues. However, she emphasized the importance of approachability and trust, often participating in fieldwork alongside her team. Fajardo's career trajectory demonstrates that effective leadership involves stepping down to understand team dynamics and corporate needs, enhancing communication and fostering company values. This adaptability, reflected in her shifts from leadership roles to individual contributor positions, has been crucial for her professional growth and career planning. According to Nitya Fajardo, true leadership is about continuous learning and unlearning to better serve your team. Don’t miss more tips and insights on leadership in the full episode.

2026·Season 3·Episode 4Highlight
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Nitya Fajardo · CRO

Leadership insights

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Transcription

00:04

Managing teams at just 20 years old Gosh.Managing teams at just 20 years old, how did you learn to be a good leader?

00:15

How did I learn to be a good leader?I started very young in real estate, where I found myself leading sales teams at 20 or 21 years old, in an environment where the average age was 35 to 40.

00:31

I started out as an administrative assistant,those roles were typically taken on by younger people.

00:36

I soon was in a leadership position,having worked as a salesperson and demonstrated my ability.

00:41

They saw that I had leadership skills, and that's how it all started.

00:44

When you're young, I think your leadership style is,without realizing it, more authoritarian,because you feel you need to prove yourself.

00:55

And I think that comes from insecurity, from thinking:"What can I possibly teach these people who have more life experience than I do,who are 35 or 40 years old?" That sense of insecurity, as a manager at the time, as a leader,because you're younger and insecure and think you're worth less makes you lean more on authority.

01:17

And I think that happens to many managers,because it happened to me too, and you eventually realize it.

01:22

At the same time, I've always been approachable,I tried to get closer to the team, to be with them, to earn their trust.

01:31

And how could I earn their trust?Simply by going onto the field and kicking the ball with them,just like they did.

01:38

If I had to climb up to the fifth floor with no lift,I'd go up to the fifth floor with them to get that property.

01:44

If we then had to go to another area and walk from building to building,from property to property, to find new listings, I did it.

01:52

Later, in the tech world,when I started to reinvent myself,At no point I hesitated to take a step back in order to progress again.

02:05

Throughout my professional career, I think that in every company I've joined except for the last two.

02:12

I've transitioned from a leadership role to individual contributor, and back into leadership.

02:17

I think that's really important, and it helps you become a better leader,because as you mature over the years, you learn things and you can also unlearn others.

02:30

It also gives you visibility within the company,helping you understand what it needs at that moment and how you can continue to grow.

02:40

I believe my growth has been quite natural, but also shaped by the personal understanding that professional development doesn't always mean rising and staying at the top.

02:54

Sometimes you need to step down, get on the ground,understand what's happening below,and then rise back up again.