Top officials learn tips on leadership

Forty Directors-general are undergoing six-month ‘Leadership Training Programme’, organised by the Ministry of Civil Services along with the Institution of Public Administration.

The programme involves executive training with workshops, book reviews, meet-the-leadership sessions and field trips.

Dr Ahmed al Futaisi, Minister of Transport and Communication, was the guest speaker on Monday.

Participants were divided into syndicates, where they worked together. “It is a tough and strenuous project where they meet in the evenings and weekends, and put in a lot of effort to discuss they have learned during the programme,” said Managing Director of Competence HR, Amer al Fadhil.

When asked about leadership qualities, Al Fadhil said some of them are: ability to think and plan strategically; ability to implement the decisions taken and being decisive while implementing decisions; ability to influence people; and ability to lobby people to ensure they are on board while they are heading in a certain direction.

Some of the challenges observed in implementing what has been taught is getting the director generals to go through training without affecting their work.

Challenges around their projects was another issue because they do not have the required time.“as a result, we had to speak to their employers for time.

Employers have to give them enough room to make mistakes because they are going through a learning journey.

If we do not try out what has been learnt, one never really learns,” pointed out Al Fadhil.

A lot of time they could be swimming against the current.“the current needs to change because it is shaping the environment.

When a person is learning, the environment around him/her needs to be shaped to indulge that person and allow them enough space to practise what they have learnt. Allow them to make decisions so that they are not reprimanded.

Surely after a mistake or two, they will perfect what they have learned.

Without trial, there would not be any innovation.”

Innovation in public sector is different from innovation in private sector.“innovation in the government is really about civil service because they are civil servants and so it is about finding new ways to serve the public, reach new heights of customer service, finding out and implementing solutions to enhance the performance of their respective sector.”