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A single moment can rewire a life. For Jose Bordetas, it was the birth of his daughter—and the decision to trade the kitchen line and tour buses for a people-first leadership path that scaled from help desk to global operations. We dig into how he broke into tech without credentials, built confidence through challenge, and turned messy projects into career-defining wins. Along the way, he unpacks the mentor lessons that changed everything, including the radical practice of keeping a resignation letter in your pocket to protect your agency.
Jose’s leadership style blends music and service. He leads like a band leader—hearing the mix, reading the room, and arranging each player to deliver harmony. From the kitchen he brings attention to detail, scalable recipes, and relentless focus on customers, whether that’s a CEO, a paying client, or a cross-functional partner. We explore how authenticity beats performance, why work doesn’t always “speak for itself,” and how EQ, clarity, and documentation create repeatable wins that survive vacations and reorgs. He shares practical tactics for speaking to executives in crisp briefs, coaching introverts to use their voice as a superpower, and setting standards that elevate the whole team.
At the core is a bold thesis: stop cloning leaders. Not everyone should manage, and some of the most impactful careers are built as subject matter experts. Jose explains how to spot diamonds in the rough, design growth that fits the individual, and measure leadership by what happens when you’re not in the room. He also previews his upcoming book, Breaking from the Herd, born from a morning commute of dark suits and a promise to never force sameness on people again.
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Short Story Long is produced by Crowned Culture Media LLC
