The Leadership Landing
From Reactive Engineer → Intentional Team Captain
Guilherme Felipe Reis
Senior Software Engineer | Master’s degree in Software Engineering
Transformation Story
From Stuck Senior Engineer → Team Captain & Emerging PDM
When Guilherme joined the program, he was already technically strong.
Skilled.
Reliable.
Senior.
But internally?
He felt unfinished.
He was stepping up informally.
Taking responsibility.
Filling leadership gaps.
Yet something was missing.
He didn’t just want to do more.
He wanted to become more.
The Before: Capable, But Undefined
At the time, he was a senior front-end engineer.
He enjoyed helping people.
He naturally stepped into leadership spaces.
But:
He didn’t have formal authority.
He didn’t fully trust his influence.
He didn’t clearly see his direction.
He knew he wanted leadership.
He didn’t know what kind.
There was passion.
But no clarity.
The Breakthrough: Leadership Starts Within
One of the most powerful shifts came through the Ikigai work.
For the first time, he could articulate:
“I want to be a source of self-actualization, for myself and others.”
That sentence changed his trajectory.
Before, he chased outcomes.
After, he chased alignment.
Before, leadership was external.
After, it became internal first.
The Dragon Work
Guilherme’s dragons weren’t loud,
but they were persistent.
Impatience.
Self-doubt.
Fear of not being competent enough.
Before the program, he tried to push through them.
After the program?
He sat with them.
He breathed.
He paused before reacting.
Instead of reacting in meetings,
he learned to say:
“Let’s take five minutes. I need to think.”
That small change reshaped his professional presence.
The Courage Shift
One of his most tangible changes?
Transparency.
Before:
He would hide side projects.
Avoid difficult conversations.
Stay quiet when unsure.
After:
He spoke to his manager openly about building a coaching business.
He asked directly about boundaries and conflicts of interest.
He handled tough conversations without escalation.
And the result?
Support.
Encouragement.
Trust.
His manager didn’t shut him down,
he empowered him.
The Professional Leap
Since the program:
He became Team Captain.
He is evolving toward PDM (Personal Development Manager).
He started coaching clients internationally.
He mentors others.
He earns income from his side business.
He stepped into leadership with clarity.
But the biggest shift?
He no longer chases validation.
He chases purpose.
The Inner Dragon Today
His dragons used to whisper:
“You’re not ready.”
“Stay small.”
“Don’t step out.”
Now they say:
“You can handle this.”
“Feel the fear, move anyway.”
“You’re growing.”
They didn’t disappear.
They matured with him.
The Real Impact
Guilherme discovered something deeper:
He doesn’t just want status.
He doesn’t just want salary.
He wants meaning.
He wants to help others grow.
He wants to be the leader he once needed.
That is transformation.
Dragon Insight 🐉
Growth isn’t about becoming fearless.
It’s about walking forward
with your dragons beside you
instead of chained behind you.
Guilherme didn’t remove fear.
He learned to lead with it.
Before The Leadership Landing ...
Guilherme often reacted quickly, struggled with impatience, and overextended himself.