Business Leaders interview: Jorge Córcega Luna

Tell us a little about yourself and your business.

I have been at Ruta de la Milpa for eleven years, where I am the CEO. The business is hospitality, we create experiences around Mexican gastronomy, the importance of our roots and culture that we focus on our customers around the world, in which today we work with several tourist companies from many countries.

What motivates you in your work and what do you find most fulfilling about being a business leader?

The passion to create experiences, and sharing our way of bringing tourism a level of excellence, lead us to create work teams, where we develop their skills and above everyone, we gain customers. Making synergies with companies in many parts of the world. Customer Service is the key.

How did you develop your leadership skills and how would you define your leadership style? 

When I was Corporate Director of a group of gastronomy schools, I was in charge of a large number of collaborators. My style developed as we grew and above all focus employees according to their knowledge and skills towards the objectives and values of the company.

Innovating is crucial in our very diverse industry. How do you stay ahead of trends and incorporate them into your global strategy?

A very important part, with courses and network meetings, with different Directors and we exchange opinions and transversal strategies.

What do you consider to be the key component(s) of effective business operational development?

Techniques, training, know how, development, monitoring, process and supervision.

How do you approach identifying areas for improvement within a company's operations?

With the feedback of our customers, making clear what the strategy and objectives are.   To be able to goals and developments of short and medium-term plans.

Where do you think the most promising investments should be focused on and/or made on?

With training and development programs to employees, and giving the positions of the following levels, to themselves as expectations of growth in the company.

What is or are your biggest career achievement(s)?

Cook in the best Restaurants around the world, that the best Chefs in the world, come to our restaurant, and whit greater importance make know and develop an area of rural Mexico City and show its gastronomy.

Do you have examples where your leadership made a difference? If so, what were they?

Convince the team and the community that our Cuisine can be one of the best in the world and develop it with quality and pride.

What’s the most important leadership lesson you’ve learned?

First human beings, then professionals.  Phrase from my mentor Luis Irizar.

How did you identify and seize opportunities for advancement in your career?

By philosophy, when the way of being/thinking of the company, are part of your values and objectives, growth is day by day.

Have you achieved everything you wanted in your career so far?

Not yet, there are always new goals and objectives, develop the habit of overcoming and fulfilling goals.

How important is personal development to your success, and how do you approach it?

As I said in a previous question.  First Human Beings, orient and develop your person towards your goals, then the achievements you have professionally.

How do you prioritise tasks when everything feels like a priority?

Urgent, important, medium term.  At the end everything is important, but the processes and methods of supervision are essentials. 

What was the hardest decision you have taken as a leader?

Just the point where growth is priority, being the only one responsible for the results. Responsibility and Commitment.

What steps do you take to measure your own performance?

Deadlines, processes, times, development and application in percentages.

What does success mean for you as a business leader?

Success.  Fulfill. Specify. Develop. Above all, your team always knows that their performance is part of their personal development and values. It’s the culture of the company.