Sharing leadership stories in the UAE

Abu Dhabi has changed dramatically over the last thirty years, more than doubling the size of its population and positioning itself as a top destination in the Indian ocean.

As the thriving national capital of the United Arab Emirates, the city was therefore the ideal location in which to hold Intertek’s 10X leadership event – a fully immersive leadership development experience for their senior teams.

During the event, we explored how the 10 leadership principles outlined in André Lacroix’s book, Leadership with Soul, can help to drive change, empower teams and make Intertek an amazing place to work.

André loved the chance to meet with colleagues to share experiences about how the principles have worked in practice.

The next stop on his trip was the Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani (BITS), Pilani, in Dubai, a leading provider of technical research and training in the Gulf region whose alumni include big names like Flex CEO Revathi Advaithi and Sabeer Bhatia, the founder of Hotmail.

This was a wonderful opportunity for him to share his own leadership story through an evening discussion with an audience of over 250 talented students, faculty members, and industry professionals.

Capitalising on growing advances in the fields of AI and automation, the development of a people centric, knowledge-based economy will be crucial to maintaining continued growth that generates shared value for all.

André found it encouraging to see the interest that the students had in a humanist approach to leadership and the role it plays in tackling the challenges and opportunities presented by today’s world. By applying BITS Pilani’s rigorous approach to academic study and excitement to discover, he is confident that many will go on to successfully lead organisations with people at their heart.

André’s trip to Abu Dhabi and Dubai offered him an exciting chance to see for himself the increasingly pivotal position of the UAE as a centre of gravity within the fantastic Middle East.

Thanks to everyone in both cities who made him feel so welcome, he can’t wait to be back!