Alberto Tovar warns in El Financiero about the risks of leaders disconnecting from daily operations, which can lead to decisions detached from reality. In his column, he emphasizes the importance of getting involved to understand and improve work systems without falling into micromanagement.
In a column published on February 13, 2026, in El Financiero, Alberto Tovar reflects on delegation in business leadership. He notes that while delegation is essential, it can serve as an excuse to lose touch with operational reality, leading to well-intentioned but impractical decisions.
Tovar clarifies that he does not advocate obsessive micromanagement, but rather involvement to understand work flow, critical decisions, and points of value loss. He cites a Harvard Business Review investigation showing that leaders in large companies dedicate time to these aspects to strengthen systems.
The cultural impact is significant: a leader showing genuine interest in work quality sends a more powerful message than any corporate values presentation. In contrast, a distant executive may talk about excellence, but their lack of closeness contradicts that discourse.
Another benefit is improved information quality. Greater hierarchical distance distorts reports and softens problems. As an example, he mentions Jeff Bezos, who during the pandemic personally engaged in logistics, worker safety, and supply chain continuity at Amazon, thus reducing the gap between plans and execution.
Tovar emphasizes limits: closeness should be respectful observation and adjustment, not invasive or substitutive of the team. In times of uncertainty like those anticipated for 2026, this approach allows early detection of signals. Finally, he insists that delegating without presence creates organizational blindness.
