Leadership Quote by Alberto Juantorena

There’s a small rebellion tucked into Juantorena’s phrasing: “We do not use managers.” In the global sports economy, “manager” usually signals a marketplace relationship - transactional, commission-driven, optimized for the next deal. Juantorena swaps that language for “representatives,” which sounds less like a broker and more like a guardian. It’s a deliberate rebranding of power: the athlete isn’t a product to be packaged; they’re a person whose interests are meant to be carried, defended, translated.

The subtext is also political. Juantorena came out of a Cuban system where sport has long been entangled with the state’s promises and pressures: collective pride, centralized planning, and a suspicion of private intermediaries. His “we” isn’t just a team; it’s an institution. By insisting he follows careers “from start to finish,” he’s asserting continuity and loyalty - but also a form of oversight. “100% all the way” doubles as reassurance and warning: you are supported, and you are watched.

What makes the quote work is the emotional pitch. It borrows the intimacy of mentorship while maintaining the authority of administration. Juantorena positions himself as someone who has earned the right to be “deeply involved” because he once carried the nation’s expectations on his own body. The line sells care as a credential, and in doing so, it asks the audience to see governance as devotion rather than control.