16 Leadership Lessons From Ruler Of Dubai Mohamed Bin Rashid Al Makoum
Afrom :Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum book “My Vision:.....
leader may be able to force something no one else can. This is one of the qualities that make true leaders. They must always look forward, further than anyone else, in order to anticipate the future, predict the challenges it will bring, and prepare their people to face them. We cannot sit idly by and say that we do not know what will happen in the future, because if we let events shape our future, they could dictate a scenario that we do not want; and if we let others make our future, they will give us the future they want and not one that we envisage. If we don t choose the future, we will be showing the past. Our past was glorious, but it cannot dictate our present or our future. we are not required to fee ourselves from our past, because it lies in our conscience, but we have to free ourselves from staying in the past. Our present should be our starting point and the future should be our target. We must decide how to build the future. When leaders have the ability to force the future – as well as the road leading to it – they are the best people to fulfill its promise. However, if we fail for any reason, we must relinquish leadership to others more capable of realizing the vision. We must plan, endeavor, innovate and do our best to reach our goals, and then let God do the rest. I consider the officials of the government of Dubai as the leaders of our people because of their substantial responsibilities and their senior positions in the government. While I can provide advice, guidance and encouragement to help us achieve our mutual goals, I cannot make each and every one of them a leader on my own. Together, we can establish the quality of a leader at all levels, right to the top of the pyramid. All officials can determine whether they have the qualities that make a leader. if they conclude they do not have what I takes, they might decide to improve their performance, acquire new skills and explore their hidden potential, so that they can discharge their duties as best they can. The qualities leaders at all levels should posses include the following (for the sake of simplicity, I have used the male gender in the list and elsewhere, but hasten to add that any leader could just as easily be female as male):
1. Lead From The Front
The ability to lead from the front, to take the initiative and tell those following him, “This is our target, so follow me to it,’ instead of saying “I am right behind you.”
2. Visions with specific objectives
To give his people’s interests top priority, embody their aspirations, meet their needs and formulate equations that can achieve these goals, through one or more visions with specific objectives and implementation stages.
3. Adopt decisions which fulfill the aims of his vision
To adopt decisions which fulfill the aims of his vision, and to be ready to battle the odds, even though not all members of is team might agree with him.
4. True leaders should take the blame for wrong decisions
To shoulder his responsibilities and discharge them as best he can. True leaders should take the blame for wrong decisions. They should be prepared to say, “I am the leader and I am the one who made these mistakes,” and on the other hand, credit success to his team. A true leader does not evade the consequences, no matter how harsh they might be. He actually enjoys bearing responsibility and even looks for it.
5. Set an example for his followers
To meet any crisis head-on, face the difficulties preventing him from reaching his targets and remove any obstacles impeding the way to success. A leader must meet the expectations of his team and always set an example for his followers. This does not mean that he should be involved in solving all the problems, big and small, as he should always l respect the hh chain of f command, d while hl all members of the team should understand and follow this chain.
6. To empower others
To empower others, which is easier said than done, because, after all, we are all human and many people tend to be egoistical and lack the power and humility of a true leader, giving themselves precedence over everybody else.
7. Leaders always try to gain knowledge from their acquaintances
To consult with others and engage in dialogue. God urged faithful Muslims to consult one another and said in Holy Qur’an, “And consult with them upon the conduct of affairs.” Our Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) was our example for the importance of consultation. Abu Hurairah, one of the most learned companions of the Prophet (PBUH), said, “I have not seen anyone who consulted with his companions more than Mohammed the messenger.” Good advice can correct a wrong step taken and other mistakes. Some leaders turn their noses up at consultation and consider it a sign of weakness, but I believe it promotes the leader’s power and the respect of his followers. When Sheikh Zayed asked for my opinion about a certain issue, I used to wonder what I could possibly say, when I was certain he already knew much more about the issue and its solution than I did. Leaders always try to gain knowledge from their acquaintances, because no one really knows where the next bright idea or suggestion may come from. They are perceptive and realize that they cannot judge people solely by their appearance and position. Consultation has other benefits too, such as being a sure way to promote better knowl- edge and decisions. It can also broaden your horizons and assist leaders in their decisions. If those consulted provide advice in good faith and are sincere, courageous and frank, then consultation can be a process of accountability. This does not weaken a leader’s position but on the contrary, strengthens it, because his final goal is to serve public interest and not personal ones.
8. leader should set clear goals for himself and his team
A leader should set clear goals for himself and his team so that he can interact with them and unequivocally commit himself to his goals. If he lost this commitment and interaction, he would lose his ability to see clearly l l and db both hh he and dh his f followers ll could ld lose track of the right course.
9. leader draws his power from his faith in God
A leader draws his power from his faith in God, his country and his determination – not from the strength of his guards and escort.
10. Leader is self-confident by nature
A leader is self-confident by nature. If he was not, he would not be able to trust anyone. A true leader must therefore trust his team, his country and his people, and link this trust to his determination to implement his vision and plans under all circumstances.
11. A leader does not follow working hours and has no weekends or holidays
Knowledge is essential in making the right decisions. A leader must know how to execute his job and have the mental and physical qualifications that enable him to carry out his duties. A leader does not follow working hours and has no weekends or holidays. He must always be alert and ready to take the necessary decisions anytime, day or night. We cannot expect leaders to be impeccable orators and writers, but they must be fluent enough to express themselves clearly. Our drill sergeants at the military academy insist on mastering this skill all the time. A leader must know how to deliver his instructions to his team in a way that guarantees they clearly understand them before implementing them, leaving no chance for misunderstanding and errors. The use of complex ideas, vague images and difficult-to-understand language using ‘big’ words is waste of time and raises more questions than answers. Some of those who hear these types of instructions do not actually lis- ten to them, while others may interpret them incorrectly. this leaves ample space for different interpretations and course of action. A leader must use simple, everyday speech, explain himself clearly without too much detail, and avoid detours and repetition.
12. Leader should clearly define the message he wants to convey
A leader should also clearly define the message he wants to convey and carefully select the words he uses with his audience. Since speech is not the only means of communication between people, a leader must always monitor the reaction and behavior of his audience. He must choose the right words for the right occasion and deliver well articulated ideas in a clear voice, using harmonious gestures and a presentation technique representative re of the leadership’s status and prominence, p in order to promote confidence in his subordinates and his image among them. th Stuttering, S hesitation, mediocre performances and too much repetition do not reflect a good leader.
13. Leader must persuade his people to accept his visions and goals
It is the duty of any leader to persuade his people p to accept his visions and goals, in order d to enlist their full cooperation in implementing them. In addition, he must always be ready to defend his decisions and vision, using his power of persuasion, sound reasoning o and accurate data.
is 1 14. Leader’s devotion 1i to subordinates crucial
Although A the allegiance of subordinates to their th leader is important, his devotion to them th is even more crucial. The same goes for fo trust and respect. These are interconnected relationships and links of the same chain; ch the moment one of them breaks, for f whatever reason, confidence will break down and will be extremely difficult to restore. It is therefore very important that no party to this kind of relationship pushes the other party into losing his/their confidence.
15. Leader motivates and encourages the members of his team
It almost goes without saying that when a leader motivates and encourages the members of his team, they will enjoy their work and be inspired to greater achievements.
16. Leader should be the symbol of a society and living example to the younger generation
A leader should be the symbol of a society and living example to the younger generation. A successful leader must set a good example for his team – how can he expect their commitment if he himself is not completely committed? How does a leader expect his team to earn the respect of the public and provide it with good services if he himself does not respect them, solve their problems or interact with them sufficiently? An Arab proverb says,“be their example and you will secure their proficiency.” A leader therefore needs to set the example through his humbleness, personal character, shouldering of responsibilities, fairness and objectivity. Want to learn more from Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, you would want to purchase this book: “My Vision: Challenges in the Race for Excellence” This book will teach you how to run a successful city or even a Government. One of best books written on Leadership.