Leadership That Transcends: How Pacasmayo Turns Failure into Strength for Its New Leaders

When Pacasmayo told us, “We want an innovative activity for our new leaders,” we knew we could go far beyond the typical leadership workshop with our disruptive concept. 

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Together with Claudia Capurro, Arianna Sáenz, and María Fernanda Vásquez, we co-created a four-session experience under a powerful name: “Leaders Who Transcend – We Experiment, We Mess Up, We Learn.”

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Designing a Space That Shows the Real Faces of Leadership

More than 120 new Pacasmayo leaders joined a series of online sessions where employees and company leaders shared real stories of failure — showing up vulnerable and deeply human. 

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This wasn’t a space to talk about success. It was a space to talk about what happens when we make poor decisions, when mistakes cost time and money, and most importantly, when we extract profound lessons about leading with honesty.

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We prepared Sandra Saona, PMO Manager, as the internal moderator to create a safe and approachable environment. One that opened conversations about how tough decisions and difficult moments test every leader — but also push them to grow, to lead with greater awareness, and to become more authentic.

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Stories That Reminded Us What Leadership Really Means

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Leadership in Motion: A Real Story of Global Adaptation

Iván Daniel Carpio, Superintendent of Process Optimization, faced a project disrupted by the war in Ukraine and international delays during the pandemic. With a passport in hand and a suitcase full of expectations, he traveled across 12 countries in 60 days to accelerate deliveries and save the startup of a new kiln.

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Key takeaways:

• Adapting to different cultures and ways of working
• Communicating clearly about the real impact of delays
• Turning global chaos into effective coordination

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The Balance Between Letting Go and Being Present: A Leadership Lesson

Martín Riofrío accepted the challenge of leading a strategic project, unaware he was about to face one of the most intense crises of his career. A lack of timely communication and overconfidence in delegation led to a sleepless night after an unexpected email from senior leadership.

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Martín shared his biggest lessons with the audience:

• Delegating doesn’t mean disappearing.
• Mistakes should be communicated quickly.
• In the toughest moments, your team can become your strongest support system.

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A Culture That Transcends

At Cementos Pacasmayo, leadership isn’t about avoiding mistakes. It’s about having the courage to share them to find powerful solutions together. This series of sessions reminded us that behind every challenge lies an opportunity to connect, reflect, and grow as a team.

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The impact was immediate. Claudia Capurro, Talent Development Coordinator, shared with the speakers:

“Muchísimas gracias por su participación hoy, he recibido súper buenos comentarios. ¡A la gente le ha encantado que compartan sus historias, se han sentido identificados!”

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And the responses quickly followed:

“Absolutely amazing, Claudia. Thank you so much! I loved the space.” — Martín Riofrío.

“Everything was great. Thank you for organizing!” — Sandra Saona

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Esta experiencia fue una puerta abierta a conversaciones reales y necesarias en la empresa, y en especial en de sus líderes, para construir un espacio seguro donde todos los miembros se vean reflejados, puedan inspirarse y entender que los fracasos no son el final, sino parte del camino.

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Want to Bring This Experience to Your Team? 

Discover how we create innovation and leadership sessions built around learning from failure.

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