A Leader Must Be a Visionary, but Also a Humble Part of the Team
“A leader is not above the team but part of it. They must see five steps ahead, be a good listener, and recognize diverse talents. The most effective teams are those that value diversity and allow everyone to contribute their strengths. Beyond that, a leader must be open to continuous learning and be a strong risk manager in a rapidly changing world.”
Sanja Kekić, Assistant Director for Client Delivery at Cedars, consultant, and cybersecurity expert, has built her career through leadership roles that seemed to follow her naturally – from the banking sector to global initiatives in digital security. She is also a COTRUGLI Executive MBA alumna, a program that, she says, significantly shaped her career outlook and opened the door to independent consulting.
“Before COTRUGLI, my goals were quite narrow and tied to working within a single company. The program gave me a broader perspective – it inspired me to think about building my own business and enabled my development as an independent consultant,” Kekić explains.
Her leadership journey began before the age of thirty, when she became Head of Software Development in one of Serbia’s largest banks. “It was the early days of digitalization, when major development projects were handled in-house rather than outsourced. I led complex projects, relying on intuition as well as leadership patterns I had carried over from sports and youth organizations.”
Throughout her career, she says, she has almost always found herself in the role of innovator. “Most often, I entered environments where a system needed to be established or fundamentally improved. Once that’s achieved, I move on – because I am, by nature, an initiator and a driver of new ideas. Today, that means cybersecurity – especially in critical infrastructures and in raising awareness of its importance.”
Kekić believes that business education programs must evolve with the times. “Risk management, digital trust and cybersecurity, ESG principles, artificial intelligence, diversity and inclusion – these are the themes without which leaders of the future won’t be able to succeed. A leader must understand risks, build trust in the digital age, and shape inclusive cultures, because without these, there can be no sustainable development.”
Mentorship is an area to which she is nearly as dedicated as her profession. She actively participates in ISACA’s mentoring programs, as well as the European Women4Cyber Foundation, where she supports young women pursuing careers in cybersecurity. “I had informal mentors who guided my path and broadened my horizons. Today, I am the one helping others, from students to professionals seeking career shifts. I see mentorship as reciprocal – I’m equally open to learning from others.”
When asked what advice she would give to her younger self, Kekić replies: “Arm yourself with patience and learn to listen actively. For a long time, I wasn’t aware that people didn’t always understand what I wanted to convey – I was often ahead of my time. I had to learn to bring communication down to the level of my audience and build mutual understanding. That is one of my key skills today.”
For her, a successful leader combines vision with humility. “A leader is not above the team but part of it. They must see five steps ahead, be a good listener, and recognize diverse talents. The most effective teams are those that value diversity and allow everyone to contribute their strengths. Beyond that, a leader must be open to continuous learning and be a strong risk manager in a rapidly changing world.”