Learning the skill and art of management is a lengthy process that involves constant changes and tolerating the uncertainties that come with business. A valuable learning experience for me was when, at the beginning of my career, I was assigned a coach who practiced “shadow management.” I remember an older gentleman who had spent several decades in managerial positions in the world of multinational companies. He was a “silent” guest at the meetings I conducted with the team that reported to me. At first, I was nervous about the consultant’s presence, but over time I completely forgot he was there. After the meetings, we would discuss how I reacted in certain situations. He did not advise me or talk about theory. He taught me to experiment with small changes and to see experientially what happens—whether it “works” in practice. He taught me to take small steps to do something different, think differently, and move differently. He encouraged me to try new things and frustrated me when I stagnated. It was then that I accepted that new experiences bring a degree of fear and that it is human to feel it. He gave me the support to endure in that place. From him, I learned that there is no formula for becoming a successful manager. Be who you are and use the widest range of possibilities available to you in a given, unique moment. Do not remain fixed in one place because today it’s sunny outside, yesterday it was foggy, and a few months ago it was snowing. When you are stuck in one place, you do not adapt in the best possible way to changes in the business environment.

After the “shadow manager” program, I did not feel any tangible changes in my management style. Today, with the distance of a few decades, I realize that experiential learning I went through back then is a long-lasting process that has significantly helped me build and, when necessary, change my managerial identity. An experimental approach to management enriches and strengthens the foundation on which we stand and increases tolerance for challenges and changes in the environment.