Still Climbing: What EO’s Path of Leadership Taught Me

When my service on EO’s Global Board came to an end in June, I expected to feel a mix of strong emotions: gratitude, pride, maybe even relief. What surprised me, though, was the ensuing quiet.

After 14 years moving through EO’s Path of Leadership (POL), including three years on the Global Board and one year as Global Board Chair, I returned to my desk on a Monday morning and realized my calendar was jarringly empty. I was not preparing for the next board conversation. I was not thinking through the next decision, the next challenge, or the next trip.

There was just empty space.

It was a strange and meaningful moment. In leadership, your calendar can become part of your identity. You become accustomed to being needed. Then, one day, the role is complete. The work continues, but your place in it changes.

That may be the POL’s final lesson: how to let go with gratitude, and how to keep growing when the title changes.

Quini and EO's Global Board recently convened for their final meeting of the fiscal year.  

Going Home

My final Global Board meeting took place in Guatemala, in Antigua, and it was deeply personal for me. I love my country, and whenever people visit from outside Guatemala, I want them to experience its beauty, history, generosity, and spirit.

Throughout the year, our board meetings were built around the four elements. In Tanzania, we explored “earth” through a coffee farm experience. In Taiwan, “air” challenged us to step outside our comfort zones through dance and creative activities. In Vietnam, “water” brought us face-to-face with history through a journey through a rainforest and along winding rivers.

"My Path of Leadership may have reached a formal end, but my growth continues. I will support EO in a different way, from a different place, with the same gratitude."

- Joaquín "Quini" Cordero (EO Guatemala)

Guatemala represented “fire.” Some directors arrived early to climb Pacaya, a massive live volcano where people often roast marshmallows or cook pizzas using the earth’s heat. We also included our Spouses and Life Partners (SLPs) and Next Gen participants, reflecting our belief that EO’s future extends beyond members themselves.

We met in a hotel built from the ruins of a centuries-old convent. We visited the company of EO Guatemala member Philip Wilson, whose water filters have improved access to clean water for hundreds of thousands of families while tackling malnutrition and other challenges.

The farewell dinner captured the heart of the experience. There was a traditional Torito dance — a fire show — and cultural touches inspired by Guatemala’s Holy Week traditions. Friends and fellow leaders shared generous words, and the evening focused less on accomplishments and more on gratitude.

The next day, everyone enjoyed Guatemalan street food, and then 15 of us traveled north to the ancient Mayan city of Tikal. After we arrived, we woke at 2 a.m. to reach the temple before sunrise. Standing above the jungle, we listened to howler monkeys, toucans, and dozens of other species greet the morning.

Surrounded by ancient Mayan history and people I deeply care about, I was reminded of one of EO’s greatest gifts: how remarkable relationships make remarkable experiences even more meaningful. We create moments that are difficult to replicate elsewhere. We bring people together, encourage vulnerability, and create opportunities for genuine connection.

Throughout the year, we began meetings with simple personal check-ins and created space for people to share experiences from their lives. Through those conversations, I learned things about board members I had worked alongside for years that I had never known before. Those moments strengthened trust and compassion and reminded me that organizations function best when people feel seen as human beings, not merely as titles or positions.

Quini, board directors, and family members on one of their adventures in Guatemala.

The Final Lesson

We got real work done during my year as chair — navigating a leadership transition, establishing board advisory committees, and advancing important initiatives. If I am honest, though, what I am proudest of is not a project or a milestone: It is my own evolution as a leader.

I learned that leadership in a volunteer organization is fundamentally different from leadership in business. People are not here because they are paid to be here. They are here because they care. You cannot simply push harder when things are not going your way. You have to inspire, listen, and build consensus.

A wise friend once reminded me that in EO, we are not here to fight with one another. We are here to serve together. At the end of the day, the goal is to still be able to share a drink, have a laugh, and call one another friends. That perspective stayed with me throughout the year and changed how I approached leadership.

There were moments when I got stressed because something was not going the way I thought was best. There were moments when I had to bite my tongue. There were moments when I had to remember that not getting my way was part of the work. Leadership does not mean authority. True leadership requires serving when called upon, doing the best you can with the people around you, and then creating space for the next leader.

As I step away from this role, many people have asked me, “What’s next?”

The truth is, I am still searching for that answer. There are things I postponed for after board service: I need a tooth fixed; I want to help my daughter get her scuba license and explore the seas with her; I want to take her skiing. I want to return to parts of life that were waiting for me.

But I do not feel finished.

During my speech at this year’s Global Leadership Conference, I told people that I am still climbing. That is still how I feel. My Path of Leadership may have reached a formal end, but my growth continues. I will support EO in a different way, from a different place, with the same gratitude.

The title changes. The calendar changes. The calls disappear.

The climb, though — no, the climb continues.

Joaquin “Quini” Cordero (EO Guatemala) is the former EO Global Board Chair and founder and president of Lumen, an advertising agency. Interested in becoming an EO member like Quini? Learn more here.