Introduction
This paper is about a leader that I admire. I have chosen to discuss Sheikh Mohammad of Dubai. Sheikh Mohammad was the ruler of Dubai and prime minister of the United Arab Emirates and is considered by many as one of the most prominent leaders in the history of the Arabic nation. With his highly talented personality, he managed to create a very strong foundation for the growth of Dubai.
The paper will specifically look at how Sheikh Mohammad exhibited different traits of leadership such as having a vision and drive, leadership motivation, integrity and ability to inspire trust, positive self confidence, competence, and ability to communicate. Each of these traits will be examined separately in the following subsections.
Vision and Drive
According to Keijzer (3), Sheikh Mohammad was a leader with great ability to successfully implement his vision driven by the desire to change Dubai and make it a great place for the people of Dubai. Allegedly, Dubai was able to rise to what it is today as a result of the power and vigor of leaders like Sheikh Mohammad. As a result, Dubai is today recognized as a center of excellence with a number of international organizations choosing Dubai as the preferred location for various activities. Undoubtedly, its popularity has tremendously grown over the years and it is all because of the visionary leadership offered by Sheikh Mohammad.
As pointed out by Keijzer (5), one of the most striking examples of Sheikh Mohammad’s vision was the creation and subsequent growth of the Emirates Airlines. It was Sheikh Mohammad who laid the foundation for that saw the Emirates Airlines become what it is today. One of Sheikh Mohammad’s principles was to lead by example and he would therefore get his followers to accomplish tasks by first leading the way. Certainly, this is a quality that can only be found in selfless leaders who are determined to take followers to a higher level of success.
Leadership Motivation
To many people in Dubai, Sheikh Mohammad was a down to earth leader who was easily accessible to his followers and often drove around without a huge entourage unlike many other leaders across the world do. As noted by Keijzer (7), he was generally very friendly and this enabled him to greatly motivate his followers. As argued by Mohammed (4), there is no doubt that people should be empowered and rewarded. However, it is equally important for every leader to ensure that followers are listened to keenly. Ostensibly, success only comes when leaders listen to their subjects wholeheartedly. Sheikh Mohammad also strongly believed in the abilities of his followers. Among other things, Sheikh Mohammad ensured that there was an ideal environment for people to be their best. Mohammad also understood the importance of taking time to recognize and reward every outstanding individual in the society. Apparently, motivation is as a result of happiness.
Integrity and Ability to Inspire Trust
As noted by Langton (3), any responsible leader does not derive power from his or her position. Among other factors, it is a leader’s level of integrity and competence that gives him or her strength to lead and inspire his followers. Arguably, this philosophy surrounded the leadership of Sheikh Mohammad for most of his years as a ruler in the United Arab Emirates. Sheikh Mohammad was also bold enough to align himself with technological advances. To fit in the present day society and to ensure that his followers remained focused, for example, Sheikh Mohammad decided to embrace the use of social media. This he did in order to transform Dubai into a great city that could be admired by many. Sheikh Mohammad relied on social media to connect extensively with his followers.
Positive Self Confidence
According to Salem (4), nothing could stop Sheikh Mohammad from realizing what he set his mind on. He exhibited a lot of positive energy that made it possible for him to go against popular opinion to achieve credible results. In addition, he had so much trust in his followers and worked hard to encourage and support their efforts to succeed in all their undertakings. As noted by Salem (7), Sheikh Mohammad strongly believed in the ability of his people to innovate. As a result, he created an environment that opened up space for interested individuals to pursue their dreams and help Dubai grow to become the envy of many in the world today. It is argued that Sheikh Mohammad inspired many achievements in the world today.
Competence
Drawing from a study by Khoori (1), Sheikh Mohammad was very talented and highly competent. Through his own initiatives, he was able to steer the growth of Dubai to greater heights. As a result of the sacrifices made for his beloved country and people, Dubai is what it is today. As mentioned earlier, it is through his efforts that Dubai continues to advance. Sheikh Mohammad also ensured that in all his development agendas, he walked with his people. With his vast knowledge and understanding, Sheikh Mohammad spent ample time to encourage and motivate his people to be their very best at all times.
Ability to Communicate
According to Spencer (6), Sheikh Mohammad made every effort to communicate effectively to his people. With the growth of the Internet and increased use of social media, Sheikh Mohammad preferred to use various social media platforms to communicate with his subjects. Using his skills in communication, Sheikh Mohammad managed to influence scores of people and caused them to give their very best as they worked to improve the standard of living in Dubai and other parts of the United Arab Emirates.
Effective communication skills also made it possible for Sheikh Mohammad to clearly communicate his development agenda to the men and women entrusted with the responsibility of spearheading the advancement of Dubai. To a large extent, Sheikh Mohammad’s ability to communicate effectively enabled him to rally every citizen behind him as he pursued his development agenda. To a very large extent, this ensured that everything progressed smoothly. Through his ability to communicate well, Sheikh Mohammad also developed a clear path and guidelines to help his people realize their goals as they build Dubai.
Conclusion
From the discussion in this paper, it is quite obvious that Sheikh Mohammad did so much to transform Dubai and make it what it is today. As a leader, he exhibited great qualities that enable him to effectively deliver as a responsible leader and to inspire his people to follow in his footsteps. He strongly believed that with determination and a positive outlook, it is absolutely possible for someone to completely change the course of events.
Works Cited
Keijzer, Paul. Leadership Strategies for Managing Talent in Asia’s Emerging Markets. 2015. Web.
Khoori, Ayesha. Emiratis Respond to Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid’s Vision. 2014. Web.
Langton, James. A decade of leadership: Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid and the rise of Dubai. 2016. Web.
Mohammed, Sheikh. The Importance of Motivating Teams. 2015. Web.
Salem, Ola. Dubai Ruler Reaches for the Stars with First Emirati Manufactured Satellite. 2013. Web.
Spencer, Richard. UAE to Have Ministers for Tolerance and Happiness. 2016. Web.