John Chambers of Cisco says: “All of my biggest mistakes occurred because I moved too slowly.” The pace picking up in the UAE creating the autobahn of business makes me wonder: “How do you lead with speed?”
Please forgive the oversimplicity of this analogy, but it does bring to life what it takes to lead with speed. Think for a moment, and answer the question: “What does it take to drive fast?”
Not long ago I was sitting at a standstill in Cairo traffic, once again making my way across the metropolis, and I learnt a couple of things about speed. First, I learnt that a Porsche is not the fastest mode of transport on the gridlocked streets. Rather, contrary to common sense, the slow-moving giant construction trucks were by far the fastest vehicles on the road, as every car was giving way to them.
What we needed was the right vehicle for the environment.
Leaders have to do the same thing by adapting to the local environment—they need to choose the right approach. In a youthful and fast-growth market, your leadership style should be open, nimble, imaginative, able to navigate ambiguity, and—most important—not restrained by heavy bureaucracy and controls. The moral here is that it is important to have the right leadership approach for the business environment.
Once you’ve selected the right vehicle and decided on the right approach, then knowing the road should give you even more insight. This part is too often overlooked. Think of it as a common sense approach: if the driver of a car does not know the road, he or she will be more hesitant and overly cautious.
As a leader, this means making sure your team knows your strategy (where you are heading) and plan (how you will get there), and that both you and the team know your people (those who will help you get there). I have never understood why this is difficult for leaders to understand and apply. But it is even more important in fast-growth markets that are characterised by ambiguity, complexity, rapid change and youthfulness.
Speed bumps, congestion on the road, debris and others’ accidents all stand in the way of speed. To a business, speed bumps are organisational bureaucracy, government interference, risk aversion, protectionism, overcontrol and even the competition. The effective leader has the capacity to circumvent or remove all of the barriers to speed so that his or her business revenue, profits and market share can grow rapidly. If you neither clear the road nor navigate through its impediments, the speed of the market will cause it to move right past you and potentially put you out of business.
A young workforce needs clear direction. Without it, employees will get distracted and try to go in every direction at once. It is your job as leader to point them in the right direction, give tips on how to get the work done and set them free to sprint forward. But don’t forget that providing clarity includes on-the-job and at-pace accountability.
In many ways, when it comes to speed, a leader is like a jockey with his horse. It is the jockey’s job to keep the horse focused. Wherever the jockey looks, the horse tends to lean in that direction. Similarly, to provide clarity, as a leader you need to personally stay focused on the outcome you want to achieve. When trying to go fast, a glance off course can lead you and your team into the rails.
I was watching my son play a game on his PlayStation called Grand Theft Auto. As I sat and watched, I noticed he hadn’t mastered how to drive fast. As a result, he became a cyberhazard to himself and to everyone on the road—even to those near the road. It’s not a whole lot different for leaders who haven’t mastered leadership in the context of a fast-growth market. They become like my son in Grand Theft Auto and me as a teenager—hazards to everyone around them.
One big danger about fast leadership is that when you crash at top speeds, it’s a big deal. Therefore, to lead successfully in fast-growth markets, leaders must (1) have the right vehicle for the local business environment, (2) know the roadway of business, (3) remove the barriers to speed, (4) provide clarity and of course (5) avoid crashing.
Tommy Weir is a leadership adviser, the author of 10 Tips for Leading in the Middle East and other leadership writings and the founder of the Emerging Markets Leadership Center
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
The Land between Two Rivers: Writing in an Age of Refugees
Tom Sleigh, Graywolf Press
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
Confirmed%20bouts%20(more%20to%20be%20added)
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Five expert hiking tips
- Always check the weather forecast before setting off
- Make sure you have plenty of water
- Set off early to avoid sudden weather changes in the afternoon
- Wear appropriate clothing and footwear
- Take your litter home with you
Company%20profile
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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SPECS
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UAE squad
Humaira Tasneem (c), Chamani Senevirathne (vc), Subha Srinivasan, NIsha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Esha Oza, Ishani Senevirathne, Heena Hotchandani, Keveesha Kumari, Judith Cleetus, Chavi Bhatt, Namita D’Souza.
Company%20Profile
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At Everton Appearances: 77; Goals: 17
At Manchester United Appearances: 559; Goals: 253
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Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
The%20specs
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Revibe%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202022%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Hamza%20Iraqui%20and%20Abdessamad%20Ben%20Zakour%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20UAE%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Refurbished%20electronics%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20raised%20so%20far%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2410m%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFlat6Labs%2C%20Resonance%20and%20various%20others%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
War
Director: Siddharth Anand
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Tiger Shroff, Ashutosh Rana, Vaani Kapoor
Rating: Two out of five stars
BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
Pakistan v New Zealand Test series
Pakistan: Sarfraz (c), Hafeez, Imam, Azhar, Sohail, Shafiq, Azam, Saad, Yasir, Asif, Abbas, Hassan, Afridi, Ashraf, Hamza
New Zealand: Williamson (c), Blundell, Boult, De Grandhomme, Henry, Latham, Nicholls, Ajaz, Raval, Sodhi, Somerville, Southee, Taylor, Wagner
Umpires: Bruce Oxerford (AUS) and Ian Gould (ENG); TV umpire: Paul Reiffel (AUS); Match referee: David Boon (AUS)
Tickets and schedule: Entry is free for all spectators. Gates open at 9am. Play commences at 10am
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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The%20specs
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Get inspired
Here are a couple of Valentine’s Day food products that may or may not go the distance (but have got the internet talking anyway).
Sourdough sentiments: Marks & Spencer in the United Kingdom has introduced a slow-baked sourdough loaf dusted with flour to spell out I (heart) you, at £2 (Dh9.5). While it’s not available in the UAE, there’s nothing to stop you taking the idea and creating your own message of love, stencilled on breakfast-inbed toast.
Crisps playing cupid: Crisp company Tyrells has added a spicy addition to its range for Valentine’s Day. The brand describes the new honey and chilli flavour on Twitter as: “A tenderly bracing duo of the tantalising tingle of chilli with sweet and sticky honey. A helping hand to get your heart racing.” Again, not on sale here, but if you’re tempted you could certainly fashion your own flavour mix (spicy Cheetos and caramel popcorn, anyone?).
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
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The biog
Age: 59
From: Giza Governorate, Egypt
Family: A daughter, two sons and wife
Favourite tree: Ghaf
Runner up favourite tree: Frankincense
Favourite place on Sir Bani Yas Island: “I love all of Sir Bani Yas. Every spot of Sir Bani Yas, I love it.”
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World record transfers
1. Kylian Mbappe - to Real Madrid in 2017/18 - €180 million (Dh770.4m - if a deal goes through)
2. Paul Pogba - to Manchester United in 2016/17 - €105m
3. Gareth Bale - to Real Madrid in 2013/14 - €101m
4. Cristiano Ronaldo - to Real Madrid in 2009/10 - €94m
5. Gonzalo Higuain - to Juventus in 2016/17 - €90m
6. Neymar - to Barcelona in 2013/14 - €88.2m
7. Romelu Lukaku - to Manchester United in 2017/18 - €84.7m
8. Luis Suarez - to Barcelona in 2014/15 - €81.72m
9. Angel di Maria - to Manchester United in 2014/15 - €75m
10. James Rodriguez - to Real Madrid in 2014/15 - €75m