Leadership Blog, Questionnaire Example

How to Deliver an Outstanding Presentation by Dr. Tariq A. Aldowaisan

Why did you choose this article?

• One of the key skills for a leader are communication skills and Aldowaisan stresses this in his article.
• The article thus serves as a practical summary of presentations, providing a pragmatic example to balance business theory.
• In so far as management is essentially about decision-making and communication, the article provides a synopsis of successful practice of the latter.

What did you learn?

Aldowaisan stresses the gap that exists between possessing good ideas and accurately communicating these ideas. In other words, many effective ideas may be compromised to the extent that they are poorly communicated. Aldowaisan provides the reader with a lucid synopsis of how to overcome this potential impasse. He summarizes reasons for failing to deliver a message in presentation format, such as a failure to rhetorically engage the audience, overloading the audience with material and failing to use existing presentation aids. In response to these issues he suggests that a clearly thought out presentation plan is necessary beforehand. That is, one should not merely focus on the content of the message, but the form or medium of the message, how it is communicated. Accordingly, Aldowaisan recommends strategies such as carefully considering the audience, defining the goal of the presentation and using available visual aids to communicate a narrative as ways to ensure a good message is not lost by poor communication. The article thus emphasizes the communicative aspect of leadership practice.

Qinvest sees Turkey as playing a leading role in the development of Islamic Finance

Why did you choose this article?

• Although the contemporary paradigm of business is defined by largely Western neoliberal and capitalist ideology, Islamic finance represents a compelling alternative to this position, maintaining an ethical and religious core for business practice.
• This article shows in particular how nation-states can also take a primary leadership role to advance the cause of Islamic finance.
• Leadership and management do not only appear in the corporate structure, but at all levels of society.

What did you learn?

The article provides a practical summary of what is being done on state as well as private levels to advance the cause of Islamic finance. In particular, the article shows how private companies, such as QInvest, are seeking to develop Islamic finance as a uniquely Muslim alternative to Western business models. One of the key players in the leadership of the Islamic finance movement is the Turkic-Arab Economic Forum, a yearly forum made up of top political as well as business leaders addressing this pertinent topic to the Islamic community. The importance of the Islamic finance movement is stressed, providing a new alternative to young leaders who do not wish to merely follow a Western dominated model: there are a number of potential business models, and, furthermore, business models do not have to necessarily conflict with religious obligation. The article stresses how leaders at all different social levels may come together to advance a common cause, in this case the important attempt to find a financial and economic system that is compliant with, as the article states, sharia law and the Islamic faith.

“24 Charts of Leadership Styles Around the World” by Gus Lubin

Why did you choose this article?

• The article provides a valuable summary of worldwide leadership styles.
• The difference in cultural and social normativities can impact leadership: namely, leadership is not some homogeneous practice and theory. This article helps highlight these differences.

What did you learn?

In management theory, the student is introduced to leadership concepts. However, at the same time, it is important to note that there is no definitive definition of leadership concepts. What is valuable and effective leadership, for example, may be determined by context. This article provides a concise and informative summary of how leadership is viewed differently by socio-cultural contexts, based on the work of the British academic Richard D. Lewis. Lewis identifies clear differences in leadership practices, for example, in the United States, where a type of autonomous individualism rules, as opposed to the Latin and Arabic models, which are deemed to be largely informed by nepotism. However, at the same time there are concerns acknowledged in the article that some of these cultural classifications of leadership may be stereotypes, taking too broad a perspective on these styles. It is a danger to simplify and reduce leadership approaches to countries or cultures, especially in an age of globalization, where inter-cultural influence, although one currently dominated by the West, is all the more a reality. Nevertheless, it is the attempt to delineate different types of leadership styles according to cultural backgrounds which makes this article informative, showing the diverse styles of leadership and management that exist.

Aarti Nagraj and HE Helal Saaed Al Interview

Why did you choose this article?

• I wanted to analyze an article where a successful business leader discusses his approach to management as well as his vision.
• The interview format allows for a personal look at the leadership and management processes.

What did I learn?

The growth of Dubai as a tourist destination in the approximately last fifteen years is undeniable. HE Helal Saaed Al is the director of the Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing and therefore a key leader in Dubai’s growth as a tourist industry. Dubai, however, despite its clear successes in marketing itself to the West, still has an ambitious plan to expand tourism, eventually aiming to become the world’s top holiday destination. The article summarizes the strategy formulated to realize this goal, for example, the key increase in fundamental tourist infrastructure, such as hotel rooms. Marketing is also a key part of the Dubai strategy, whereby the tested word-of-mouth approach lies at the heart of Dubai’s tourism plans. At the same time, the article outlines problem areas, such as issues related to airline travel which may inhibit tourist growth. The interview is thus invaluable in providing insight into how management professionals and those occupying significant leadership positions view their industry, formulate strategies and acknowledge problems in this process. The article namely provides a practical example of leadership in action.

Atique Naqvi “New Tunisian Law to Complicate Business Deals”

Why did I choose this article?

• We tend to think of business and management decisions being made solely in the paradigm of business. However, there are non-economic factors, such as law that influence this decision.
• I wanted to gain insight into how factors that are beyond the leader’s control influence decision making

What did I learn from this article?

The business paradigm is not an isolated series of events. Rather, it is informed by everything from religious and cultural norms to geopolitics to law. This article summarizes how a country’s changes in law can have restrictive effects on business. In particular, the article notes the case of Tunisia, where business deals conducted under previous Tunisian president Zine Al Abidine Ben Ali may be annulled by a new series of legal reforms. This article is highly important to the leader, since it adds another potential complication to the business leader role: the retroactive annulment of business deals. A leader, therefore, is not only dealing with a fixed set of elements that determine his or her decision-making process, however complex these elements in themselves may be. There is always the potential that even after a business deal has been finalized some form of obstacle shall appear. The article thus highlights the complicated relationship between business and law, as well as the effect future changes can have on business deals that have been thought to have already been completed.