Global Leadership: Leading Beyond Borders

By Ramon Tramontini, President of Internacional Operations

Stepping into an international leadership role is, above all, a deliberate act of exposure. It means choosing to navigate uncharted waters, facing new market dynamics, a different language, and expectations that push you far from your comfort zone, all while delivering value with excellence.

When I made that decision, I realized that leading a company outside my home country would require more than a strong résumé or a proven track record. It would demand active presence, genuine listening, strategic discipline, and, above all, continuous adaptability.

The North American market, in particular, presents significant challenges. It is pragmatic, direct, competitive, and deeply value-driven. Every interaction, every meeting, implicitly asks: “What’s the trade here?” This requires adopting a consultative approach from the first contact, communicating clearly and concisely, and, most importantly, walking the talk.

This experience taught me that leading in a global context is not about replicating successful models but about acting with awareness across different levels of context without compromising the principles that ground us.

In Brazil, trust is built through relationships. In the United States, relationships begin with delivery. This fundamental difference reshapes how we sell, manage, lead, deliver, and position the company strategically.

Cultural differences and language barriers are just the surface. The real challenge lies behind the scenes: making decisions with limited information and, often at the start, without full knowledge of local rules and regulations. At the same time, we need to ensure alignment across distributed teams and preserve company culture across time zones, languages, and diverse backgrounds. It is in this often quiet territory that leadership is forged, not through speeches but through daily action and consistency.

In this global and decentralized environment, active listening becomes a strategic advantage. Fostering a space where people feel safe to share their perspectives is essential to making more complete and contextualized decisions. I openly encourage the team to speak up, not as a formality, but as part of a continuous effort to build alignment. We must hold each other accountable.

In multicultural and distributed environments, each professional sees the “board game” from a different angle. Part of my role as a leader is to broaden that view by integrating feedback from different levels and regions to form a clearer picture of the business. Sometimes, what initially sounds like a misaligned argument reveals a valuable perspective on a blind spot I had not considered. Most of the time, people are well-intentioned and competent. Conflicts usually resolve themselves when both parties are exposed to each other’s perspectives clearly and directly. It is my job to make sure that happens.

Listening deeply, even when I disagree, allows me to fine-tune decisions with greater clarity. And when it makes sense, I do not hesitate to incorporate input or change direction. Leading globally requires this level of maturity: understanding that the best path rarely comes from the top down. It emerges from our collective ability to build a shared vision.

This ongoing effort to stay open and aligned also reinforces the foundation of my leadership. In complex, multicultural environments, where decisions are made under pressure and with incomplete data, it is essential to anchor actions in solid principles. That is why my leadership is grounded in three non-negotiable pillars:

• Doing what is right, even when the path is harder
• Creating an environment where mistakes are addressed with responsibility, maturity, and transparency
• Embracing the mindset of the infinite game, understanding that companies are not in a race with a finish line but in a continuous journey where long-term resilience, trust, and purpose matter more than short-term wins

I often say, “You can say anything to anyone as long as you know when and how.” This is not just a communication principle; it is a management philosophy. It is about fostering relational maturity: being able to navigate tough conversations, unpopular decisions, and constant pressure with clarity, respect, and consistency.

With the team, I always emphasize that excellence does not mean being mistake-free. It is about how we respond to challenges and crises. It is about bringing problems to the table quickly, proposing viable solutions, exposing risks, listening to input, and then pointing the way forward. That is leadership: supporting, guiding, protecting, and pushing in the right measure.

Leading internationally has also reinforced my view on processes. They do not constrain; they empower. They are the rails that help each person understand where they are and where they are headed. In multicultural and multi-time-zone contexts, where the risk of miscommunication is high, establishing execution rituals and clear communication is not just strategic. It is vital. The key is finding the right balance. The lighter, the better.

At the end of the day, global leadership does not happen on a stage. It happens behind the scenes, in the details, in the consistency of the routine.

And if there is a legacy that drives me, it is this: knowing I have had a positive impact on the people I have had the privilege to work with. That, in some way, my leadership contributed to their professional and personal growth. Because leading, at its core, is not just about driving results. It is about building paths for others to grow. And when those people eventually move on to new challenges, they too leave a mark, making the business better than it was when they arrived.