Living. Learning. Sharing.
A lifelong learner who has built his professional life around leadership, Alfonso Montero helps teams and individuals unlock their potential and become stronger leaders through his speaking engagements, workshops, and other resources.
But it wasn’t always this way. In fact, Alfonso’s work resonates so deeply with his audiences because he recognizes the challenges inherent in becoming a leader—challenges he successfully navigated himself, and still others he faces every day.
A Chicago native who spent part of his childhood in Guanajuato, Mexico, before returning to the Windy City, he grew up surrounded by gang violence that cost the lives of friends and classmates. He struggled with his identity, finding it hard to determine his place and purpose in the world. He became angry, growing lonely, unhealthy, and pessimistic.
Choosing a new path
The change took shape when Alfonso realized he didn’t have to stay on that path—that by taking ownership of his life, opening his mind, and accepting that he had much to learn, he could grow and thrive.
After earning a bachelor’s degree at Lewis University in the Chicago area, his journey toward becoming a leader was only beginning. He worked, traveled, volunteered, and studied in over 85 countries, working in the Peace Corps, the U.S. Department of State, and a variety of other international organizations, gaining knowledge and new perspectives with each stop. Alfonso also continued his academic education, earning a master’s degree from New York University in global affairs and a doctorate in educational leadership.
More than being—becoming
Still, these things on their own weren’t enough. To truly make a positive difference in communities around the world, Alfonso had to move past the exterior successes that comforted his ego, such as degrees and titles. Almost counterintuitively, he had to change his thinking from “I am a leader” to “I am becoming a leader”—because it is a never-ending process, always with another step to take, another insight to gain, another improvement to make on a path from “I” to “us.”
Alfonso founded Renaissance Leadership Alliance to share his unique principles with others, to serve as a guide offering tools that empower and inspire individuals to tap into their own unlimited potential. He speaks to thousands of people across the world, strengthening personal and professional trust while encouraging collaboration and innovation.
And as his own journey continues, he remains a learner as much as an educator—absorbing perspectives and wisdom from each experience and every individual who crosses his path.
“Alfonso uses personal examples and stories to share his messages, which are inspiring.”
Martha Villegas - U.S.A.