How do the leaders in your company react to constructive criticism?

What if that feedback is about their leadership style?

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That’s what happened to Karina, a leader at one of the largest brewing companies in the world and a speaker at one of our Fuckup Nights for Companies events.

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Karina opened up and shared the time she received uncomfortable feedback right before what seemed like an opportunity to step into a management role.

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Keep reading to learn her story…

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👤 Who.

Karina Cantú is a communications professional with more than 15 years of experience developing organizational transformation strategies through processes, tools, and people. She is passionate about creating experiences that connect with people and strengthen leadership.

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Curious and creative, she enjoys exploring development trends, traveling, and promoting spaces where learning drives innovation.

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FuN: What is your personal definition of failure?

Karina: Failure is the beginning of a transformation, the push toward a new way of doing things. As the song says: it’s perfectly normal to be knocked flat on your face. So, get back up! The harder it hits you, the more it prepares you.

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What was the context before this experience?

Karina: When I joined Heineken’s corporate office, I was beyond excited. I was finally going to work where the important decisions are made. At first, almost no one knew me, so I worked really hard to prove what I was capable of.

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Little by little, I earned my leaders’ trust, and they started assigning me increasingly larger and more important projects. Eventually, I ended up leading the Master Calendar. Basically, I orchestrated everything the consumer sees at the point of sale: launches, seasonal moments, campaigns… everything went through me.

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I had visibility, a leading role in tough meetings with executives, "exceed expectations"performance reviews, and flawless results.

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One day, my leader told me, “Karina, you’re being invited to join a leadership program called First Line Manager.” My first thought was, “Wow, this means growth. They’re going to give me more tools to lead, a bigger team, and I’m going to become a manager.”

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At last, all my effort was being recognized. I felt like I was finally playing in the big leagues.

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Even though my boss clarified that this didn’t guarantee a new position, I didn’t pay much attention. All I could think was, "Which management role are they going to give me?"

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💣 The Real F*ckup

The day of the in-person workshop arrived. It was a very complete workshop, and I was excited, actively participating, taking notes, and thinking about my strategy going forward.

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Everything was going great until we reached an exercise where, after self-assessing certain skills and behaviors, the team did the same.

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I, Karina Cantú, who met every objective on time and in full, who delivered what was asked of me and even more, expected to see a peak in the negotiation section of the chart.

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And yes, there was a peak, but inverted, pointing downward. The only thing I thought was, “This has to be a mistake.”

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I tried to prove to the consultant that it was a mistake and that I was a good negotiator, because I always got what I wanted. And that’s when everything changed… 

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The consultant told me, "What we see is that Karina lacks empathy, doesn’t listen, and doesn’t look for ways to support ."

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The result went beyond whether or not I got what I wanted. It was really about how I got it, at what cost, and at whose expense.

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FuN: How did you react to this news?

Karina: I responded, “If they don’t like being told what to do, then they should just do it sooner.” But right there, I was faced with a reality I could no longer ignore.

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I kept reading my colleagues’ feedback, and that’s when it really started to sink in.

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Suddenly, all the feedback I had received before made sense. In some way, I had already been getting these signals, but I had chosen to ignore them.

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Reality hit me like a bucket of cold water. I no longer felt powerful; I felt vulnerable.

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I spent weeks tormenting myself over everything, everything I did wrong, the work relationships I damaged, my reputation that I had stained.

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I talked with my leader, colleagues, my partner, and friends. Then I got to work on myself. I realized that if I had been selected for that program, it was because they wanted to give me tools to grow. So it was up to me to take the learning.

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FuN: What changes came from that?

Karina: I couldn’t stay stuck in the bitterness of that experience. I had to start rebuilding trust with my colleagues by showing more empathy and letting my human side be seen.

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I learned that you shouldn’t treat people the way you would like to be treated, but rather the way they would like to be treated, and that you can achieve results without neglecting how you get there.

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I stayed in touch with the workshop facilitator, and later he shared a phrase that I’ve never forgotten and try to remember whenever I find myself in a difficult situation:

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“Wise as a serpent, gentle as a dove.”‍

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It took years to learn how to better regulate my emotions. Over time, the organization gave me the opportunity to demonstrate the leadership I aspired to. I took on bigger projects and critical experiences under a lot of pressure, balancing delivering results with the human side. Now, with a larger team and my new role as a mother, I’m being tested again with new challenges. 

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Am I a great leader who no longer makes these mistakes? Definitely not. But I chose to pay more attention to inspiring rather than imposing, to leading with a balance between head and heart.

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💡 Key learnings…

Karina: "Leadership is a continuous learning process."

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💡 FuN: A leader never stops evolving. Create ongoing spaces for evaluation and training, mentorships with other leaders, post-mortems, and more. This builds a culture of learning and resilience that spreads to other teams.

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Karina: "Before numbers, it’s about people."

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💡 FuN: Strong results are often a consequence of a healthy culture. Make decisions that also protect team energy and motivation. Balance workloads, define clear goals, and promote transparency.

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Karina: "Self-awareness is essential."

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💡 FuN: Self-awareness isn’t an innate trait—it can be developed. Implement assessments, coaching, or feedback sessions. This can reduce friction and strengthen team trust.

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Karina: "You have to pay attention to feedback because the signals are always there."

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💡 FuN: Feedback can also be silent. Observe patterns, silence, turnover, apathy, or specific attitudes. Create safe spaces to share without fear. This will help you prevent crises and manage them more effectively.

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Karina: "Strengthen all your relationships."ri💡 FuN: Invest time in your team to connect authentically; create spaces for vulnerability (like a Fuckup Nights event), shared activities, and moments of connection to get to know each other better and build trust. This will strengthen your team’s resilience and confidence when operating during times of crisis.