Insights

In Conversation with Beyondsoft Leaders: Antonio Briceño, Beyondsoft Costa Rica Country Manager 

Author: Sharon Loh

Nobody is greater than the team. Much like there is no letter ‘I’ in Team nor is there a ‘Me’. A part is never more important than the whole. A leader recognizes the value of collaboration, mutual help and rowing together.

Antonio Briceño, Beyondsoft Costa Rica Country Manager 

For this Q&A, I sat down with Antonio Briceño, our Costa Rica Country Manager to discuss his leadership style and philosophy for thriving in today’s complex business environment. 

Sharon: Let’s start with the fundamental question, your definition of leadership and your role. 

Antonio: Thank you for inviting me to this chat. My job title is ‘Country Manager at Beyondsoft Costa Rica’, but I believe that leadership isn’t about hierarchy or titles. Like the rest of the team, I have to roll up my sleeves, do the groundwork and earn trust from my team members, stakeholders, and clients. No task is too small or insignificant, leaders must hold themselves to higher standards and expectations than those expected from the team.     
 
I have the privilege of leading and managing Site Operations, Business Development, Client Relations with Key Accounts and Delivery Management of our services. I represent Beyondsoft in different venues and am an active partner for several business chambers across the country such as AmCham Costa Rica and CamSCAT. 

Sharon: That’s impressive. Thank you for the work you do – and continue to do. Can you tell me more about your leadership philosophy? 

Antonio: A leader is neither at the front nor in the back, a leader is amongst the people listening, asking, guiding, challenging, motivating and helping. That said, a leader also knows when it is time to, literally, ‘take the lead’ and make decisions, or empower people by letting them oversee projects or initiatives that will best suit the business. 

Leadership is about bringing out the best in people. It’s not about having all the answers but rather about creating an environment where everyone believes they can contribute meaningfully. When you genuinely care about your team’s growth and success, people notice. They hold themselves accountable, not because they must, but because they want to achieve new heights.  

Sharon: I really like your intentional approach. How does this translate into real business outcomes?  

Antonio: The greatest asset a company has is the dual ability to devise a strategy and use their teams’ skills to achieve successful results. It’s about leading team members to create an action plan and bring the strategy to life. Leaders understand one fundamental truth: business performance is a direct result of how you treat your team. Our team members don’t just solve problems; they propose innovations and drive client success. 

Sharon: This is good insight. Let’s switch gears. Can you share the biggest challenge you’ve faced, and how you overcame it? 

Antonio: There are many challenges I have faced in my career. If I had to choose, it would be an experience that I had managing a Workforce Transformation initiative that entailed transitioning 600 roles (senior level Managers, Program Managers, Project Managers, Business Managers, Sr. Analysts, Client Support) from high-cost locations into another affordable location in Latin America within one year. I had to handle expectations, aggressive targets, project deadlines, talent strategies, resistance to change and anxieties.  

We overcame these challenges with the help of a supportive and passionate team. Thinking in terms of ‘We’ and not ‘I’, is what made the difference on how the team achieved and exceeded our targets. I managed every conversation with care, setting realistic goals, and making sure we had the tools we needed to achieve our goals. I was pragmatic about changes that came along the way and ensured we communicated clearly so we surprised no one. Being organized, and self-aware of any roadblocks that the team faced was critical.  

Sharon: That’s a profound perspective. How do you balance strategic goals and human considerations? In other words, what’s your strategy for developing future leaders within your team?  

Antonio: Every strategic goal has a human impact. My role is to ensure we’re driving towards business success, while realizing each individual team member’s ambitions. I work with my leadership team to translate business goals into tangible requirements and work with my team to raise the bar in delivering exceptional work for our clients.  

While I expect high standards, I lead by example on how to perform at a level of excellence. Being forgiving of errors and helping people learn from them, being accountable for my own errors with transparency. I like to assign goals that are challenging to get the team to expand their comfort zone, because this is the best way for them to learn and develop new knowledge and skills.

Sharon: Thank you for sharing your candid thoughts. How do you manage your own development? 

Antonio: First off, I realize that I am responsible for my own development, and it is something I own. I am an avid reader and lifelong learner. I read thought leadership articles and books, attend conferences where I am either a speaker or a delegate, and I’m always on the lookout for a certification that might further my understanding of what is coming next. I pay close attention and always ask questions to better understand a different approach. I also surround myself with people who are smarter than I am, or more experienced than me, and I learn from them, ask them, and assess how I can adapt their knowledge and practice to what I do.  

Sharon: Final question. What is the single most important skill a leader should have? 

Antonio: I would say listening without prejudice, and the virtue of asking without contempt go hand in hand as the most important characteristic of a leader.  

Summary 

There is no playbook to be an effective leader. Leaders are not born, and they need to learn from mistakes, adapt, and find the right path to lead their teams. Leaders are aware that they need a support network to help them to advance. Leaders with authority set an example, realizing that employees mirror their actions. Good leaders are quick to forgive, guide with kindness, ready to admit failure and act fast to course correct as needed. 

At Beyondsoft, our leaders lead our teams to drive your business success. If you have an IT challenge that impacts your business, let’s connect.