Use your voice: Tissiana Costa explains the importance of speaking and listening

VP, Digital Solutions at CI&T, Tissiana emphasizes that no
professional is alone and that everyone has the power to change lives

"Helping teams to perform at peak efficiency, customers to solve problems and people to reach their greatest potential, as well as different stakeholders to reach consensus and understand each other's needs: this is my true calling. I discovered that I've always been a project manager, I just didn't go to college for it.

I have always been very good at Exact Sciences and I have a degree in Computer Engineering. I started my career as a developer and, at some point, my leadership began to realize that I had a certain talent for management. Little by little, I became a technical leader — and a female leader said to me: "Do you want to be a project leader?". I had a week to take the job. I didn't know I was ready, but I was. I went for it. We are friends to this day, that leader and me. When I meet her, I thank her for showing me my true path.

Some say that project management is 90% communication. I disagree. Today, I say that my role is 50% diplomacy, 40% psychology and 10% engineering. In the years that have passed, I have realized that it is great challenges that stimulate me — and while I was doing an MBA, I met CI&T representatives who claimed to see the company's DNA in me.

I sent my resume and only 10 minutes into the interview, I thought: "I need to work at this place. What energy is that? I can't help but see what this is!" With tears in my eyes, crying a lot, I resigned to my old boss. I joined CI&T 14 years ago.

What we are part of

A very important part of my path within CI&T was my process of discovering my true self, my value, my characteristics, and how it all fits with the company. That's because we have a huge range of leaders, all of whom have strengths and weaknesses. The company has the intelligence to bring these differences together, embrace the reality that no one is complete or perfect, and provide professionals with an understanding of how they can evolve.

The moment I unlocked my potential was when I understood what my leadership profile was. In this awareness journey encouraged by CI&T, we all concluded that there are basic elements of our identity that have to do with our values, and our view of the world. They hardly change profoundly. They change as we mature, but they have an essence: our own.

Once I clearly understood my essence and how it offered value to CI&T, it became much easier to articulate a win-win relationship with the company so that everyone benefits. If the company plays a key role in this scenario, so do executives — assuming a commitment to self-knowledge and continuous improvement. This is a very important element for any leadership; after all, no one is static. People are dynamic.

Part of the whole

It is a gigantic responsibility to be in my shoes. I see myself representing many people, especially minority groups, who are part of my life and me. I need to represent these voices that I know well. I am also very proud of what CI&T represents, as the company has a unique and special vision of generating value for customers, employees, and shareholders.

To be able to "take" this company and help it appear on the world stage is to tell the world that you can be successful, human, true to your values, and have fun in the process. It is very important for me to be able to sit at the table with clients and show that there is another way of doing business. Again, I am deeply proud of what we are and represent.

In fact, my career today is the result of the affection and care of mentors who helped me understand what I was capable of. These people realized before me the value I had and helped me get to know myself better. Formal or informal mentoring is a fantastic tool. Relying on those who took the time and invested in me to help me see things I couldn't see has changed my life. Literally. They allowed me to be in a position to change other people's lives. It's a fantastic ripple effect.

Obviously, different personalities have equally different challenges. Also, sometimes it takes a lot of courage to make tough decisions — courage that's directly proportional to the number of people you influence. At the same time, it takes a lot of humility to realize that we are never alone. I understood that I don't need to be a superhero.

My biggest challenges were learning to deal with the impact of my decisions and being a little gentle with myself. You have to remember that you are just a human being, that you need to interact with others, that you need help, to talk, and to get another perspective. I am part of a collective of intelligent people who can and should be activated to inform my decisions because I am not perfect and I am not alone.

One voice

Enhancing inclusive communication is the first step in enabling more women to reach leadership positions. The second is inclusion itself. Diversity is being invited to a party; inclusion is being asked to dance. If we work with our teams to give space for all minority groups, people who belong to them will be able to contribute and participate. They will be able to not only show values but also witness those values in action—and more confidently walk their own paths. And that doesn't just apply to women.

If we can teach those we work with to listen to all perspectives, to listen to all different voices, we will go a long way, reducing the unconscious bias that can suffocate individuals at the beginning of their careers. I've been lucky on my journey to have people around who listened to me and amplified my voice.

So, I give two pieces of advice to those who are starting the story. First of all, use your voice. Fight for it, and do your part. Seek out allied people so it can be heard if necessary. Have the courage to do so. Finally, open your mind to learning. Nobody knows everything, and nobody is asking you to arrive knowing everything.

Our ability to learn from any interaction we have is what we need to evolve — and it doesn't exist if the use of voice, ears, and brain are left aside. Listening and separating the person from the message is as essential as talking. Furthermore, remember: do your best because you are the one who will help yourself grow the most.

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