Learn how executive leader Yamila H. Libutti approaches leadership, resilience, growth mindset, and sustained excellence in business and life.
We are thrilled to spotlight Yamila H. Libutti, Co-founder, Breaking Barriers Consulting, LLC.
Yamila is a dynamic global leader, co-founder, board member, author, speaker, executive coach, and mentor with 30+ years of executive leadership experience spanning multiple industry verticals and across a broad range of technology and business disciplines. Her new book Performance Unleashed: Mastering the Art of Sustained Excellence—written in partnership with her husband Dr. Chris M. Libutti—was just recently released, and her next book From the Boardroom to the Ballroom is set to be released in mid 2027.
Yamila has spent much of her career leading large-scale organizational change, fostering innovation, and driving technology transformation across Fortune 100 and high-growth organizations. She is deeply passionate about empowering individuals and teams to push boundaries, challenge assumptions, and realize their full potential. On a personal level, Yamila lives this same philosophy—continually challenging her own limits and intentionally stepping beyond her comfort zone in service of learning, growth, and evolution.
At her core, she is a zealous believer in the art of the possible and firmly believes that “impossible” isn’t the end of a story—it’s an invitation to reinvent it. Yamila serves on the boards of the Hispanic Technology Executive Council (HITEC) and Operation Literacy. She is an active mentor and coach and regularly collaborates with universities and organizations on executive coaching and leadership programs, as well as custom workshops focused on the intersection of people, process, and technology.
Her breakthrough leadership has earned her numerous accolades, including induction into the HITEC Hall of Fame, multiple years as a HITEC 100 award recipient, 2021 HITEC Member of the Year, the 2020 Great Minds in STEM Luminary Award, and the 2020 Stetson University Business School Foundation Ted Surynt Leadership Award.
Whether leading large-scale transformations or mentoring emerging professionals, Yamila's approach is grounded in purpose, continuous learning, and a commitment to growth. Below, she shares some of the lessons that have shaped her leadership journey.
“Leadership isn’t defined, nor does it begin with a title. True leadership is the sum of the choices you make in service of others, especially when no one is watching. It begins with character. Developing leadership character isn’t about waiting to be picked. It’s about deciding, early on, the kind of person you want to be. Getting clear on your values. Your anchor. Your North Star. Start recognizing your sphere of influence, then create positive impact and drive change. Be results-driven. Ask for feedback—and then take action. Ask better questions and challenge the status quo when it needs to be challenged. Start getting comfortable with the uncomfortable now. That’s what will lead to real growth. We were designed to learn from failure (i.e., babies learn to walk by falling down and getting back up over and over again). Leaders live in a perpetual cycle of Take it in > Try it out > Tune it up. To be a leader, you need to be agile, learn fast, adjust, and build reciprocal trust.”
“Excellence isn’t inherited—it’s architected. That means that you have to be willing to do the work, especially on the days you don’t feel like it. There will be people who underestimate you, and your path will undoubtedly have obstacles. That’s not a signal to stop. It’s part of the process. The difference is in how you respond. Stay curious. Stay disciplined. Learn fast, adjust, and keep moving forward. Build trust in how you show up—consistently, not occasionally. 'Impossible' isn’t the end of the story. It’s an invitation to think differently, challenge assumptions, and create a new path forward.”
Yamila begins her response by emphasizing that true leadership does not start with a title; rather, it is “the sum of the choices you make in service of others, especially when no one is watching.” This perspective suggests that leadership is not a position one is given but a deliberate, values-driven choice that is demonstrated consistently through actions and rooted in genuine care for others. Sharif and Scandura (2014) highlighted the powerful role of leaders' choices, finding that leaders who integrate ethics and morality into their day-to-day practices influence the ethical decision-making of their followers. In this way, a leader's choices can create a ripple effect throughout an organization.
Furthermore, Yamila’s perspective on leadership through service aligns with Servant Leadership theory, which suggests that effective leaders prioritize serving others before aspiring to lead (Dennis et al., 2010; Greenleaf, 1977). Greenleaf (1977) argued that authentic leadership begins with a natural desire to serve others and that the decision to lead emerges as a conscious choice that follows. Together, these ideas reinforce Yamila’s view that leadership is grounded in service, character, and the everyday choices individuals make to positively influence others.
In addition, Authentic Leadership Development (ALD) theory (Avolio & Gardner, 2005) aligns closely with Yamila’s belief that “developing leadership character isn't about waiting to be picked. It's about deciding, early on, the kind of person you want to be.” This perspective reflects the core principles of authentic leadership, which emphasize self-awareness, relational transparency, balanced processing of information, and an internalized moral perspective. Developed in response to calls for greater integrity and ethical grounding in organizations, ALD positions authenticity as the foundational construct underlying positive forms of leadership. Avolio and Gardner (2005) argue that effective leaders are grounded in a strong sense of self and guided by deeply held values and beliefs.
Gardner et al. (2005) further proposed that authentic leaders serve as positive role models by consistently demonstrating their core values, motives, goals, and emotions through both words and actions. Exposure to such leaders can increase followers' self-awareness and encourage their own growth and development. Similarly, Yamila emphasizes that leadership growth begins with intentional self-development, clarity of values, and a conscious commitment to becoming the kind of person and leader one aspires to be.
Yamila's belief that “we were designed to learn from failure” closely reflects Dweck's (2006) concept of a growth mindset. According to Dweck (2006) and Madsen and Desai (2010), individuals with a growth mindset view challenges, setbacks, and failures as opportunities to learn and improve rather than as evidence of their limitations. This perspective encourages perseverance, continuous learning, and resilience in the face of obstacles. Similar to Yamila's observation that babies learn to walk by repeatedly falling and getting back up, growth mindset theory suggests that progress and development occur through effort, practice, and learning from mistakes.
Lastly, Yamila emphasized that when facing obstacles, the key is not the obstacle itself but how individuals respond to it. As she explained, “the difference is in how you respond. Stay curious. Stay disciplined. Learn fast, adjust, and keep moving forward.” Her perspective is supported by DeRue et al. (2012), who argued that the ability to learn quickly from experience, adapt to changing circumstances, and remain resilient in the face of uncertainty is essential for long-term leadership effectiveness and career success.
Ultimately, Yamila's leadership philosophy centers on the belief that excellence and leadership are developed, not bestowed. Through service, self-awareness, resilience, and a willingness to learn from failure, individuals can expand their influence and create meaningful impact regardless of their title or position. Her insights serve as a reminder that leadership begins with the choices we make each day and grows through a continual commitment to learning, growth, and helping others succeed.
References
Avolio, B. J., & Gardner, W. L. (2005). Authentic leadership development: Getting to the root of positive forms of leadership. The Leadership Quarterly, 16(3), 315–338. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2005.03.001 View Avolio, B. J., & Gardner, W. L.'s Authentic leadership development
Dennis, R. S., Kinzler-Norheim, L., & Bocarnea, M. (2010). Servant leadership theory: Development of the servant leadership assessment instrument. In D. van Dierendonck & K. Patterson (Eds.), Servant leadership: Developments in theory and research (pp. 169–180). Palgrave Macmillan. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1057/9780230299184_14 View Dennis, R. S., Kinzler-Norheim, L., & Bocarnea, M.'s Servant leadership theory
DeRue, D. S., Ashford, S. J., & Myers, C. G. (2012). Learning agility: In search of conceptual clarity and theoretical grounding. Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 5(3), 258–279. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1754-9434.2012.01444.x View DeRue, D. S., Ashford, S. J., & Myers, C. G.'s Learning agility
Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. Random House.
Gardner, W. L., Avolio, B. J., Luthans, F., May, D. R., & Walumbwa, F. O. (2005). “Can you see the real me?” A self-based model of authentic leader and follower development. The Leadership Quarterly, 16(3), 343–372. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2005.03.003 View Gardner, W. L., Avolio, B. J., Luthans, F., May, D. R., & Walumbwa, F. O.'s “Can you see the real me?” A self-based model of authentic leader and follower development
Greenleaf, R. K. (1977). Servant leadership: A journey into the nature of legitimate power and greatness. Paulist Press.
Madsen, P. M., & Desai, V. (2010). Failing to learn? The effects of failure and success on organizational learning in the global orbital launch vehicle industry. Academy of Management Journal, 53(3), 451–476. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2010.51467631 View Madsen, P. M., & Desai, V.'s Failing to learn? The effects of failure and success on organizational learning in the global orbital launch vehicle industry
Sharif, M. M., & Scandura, T. A. (2014). Moral identity: Linking ethical leadership to follower decision making. In L. Neider & C. Schriesheim (Eds.), Advances in authentic and ethical leadership: Research in management (Vol. 10). Information Age Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-62396-722-220251007 View Sharif, M. M., & Scandura, T. A.'s Moral identity
