P rof e s s i ona l
Ce rt i fie d
Manager
Lama Al Taher
4 – 8 May 2025
The Leader and the
Team !!!
We are all soldiers in the development army and
have the same ranks and tasks that exist in
traditional armies. Work teams are in the front
line of development and are entrusted only to the
most crucial missions – those that can secure
victory in the development war.
Unless the leader of these teams provide them
with the right training, incentives, care, and
encouragement, and unless he/she is leading
them, they will never be able to conquer obstacles
and achieve their goals………..
H.H. Shiek Mommed bin Rashid Al Maktoum (Book: My Vision)
The Modern Workplace
The Classical Eras:
• Agricultural
• Industrial
• Knowledge
The Old Workplace
The old workplace is characterised by routine,
specialised tasks and standardised control
procedures. Employees typically perform their jobs in
one specific organisational facility and concentrate
on their own specific tasks.
Managers are cautious about sharing knowledge and
information across boundaries.
The organisation is coordinated and controlled
through vertical hierarchy, with decision making
authority residing with upper level managers.
The New Workplace
By contrast, in the new workplace, work is free
flowing and flexible. Structures are flatter and
lower level employees make decisions based on
widespread information, being guided by the
organisation’s mission and values.
Empowered employees are expected to seize
opportunities and solve problems as they emerge.
Knowledge is widely shared and people keep in
touch with each other via advanced technology.
What is after the Knowledge Era?
In the corporate world, after the
Knowledge Era, many thought leaders
propose that we are transitioning into or
already experiencing:
the Intelligence Era &/or
the Purpose Era. Here's a breakdown:
The Intelligence Era
This era emphasizes leveraging advanced
technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI),
machine learning, and data analytics to enhance
decision-making and efficiency. It focuses on:
•Smart automation: AI taking over repetitive
tasks while humans focus on creative and strategic
work.
•Data-driven insights: Turning vast amounts of
data into actionable intelligence.
•Continuous learning: Adaptability and upskilling
are key as technology evolves
The Purpose Era
Organizations are increasingly aligning themselves with broader
societal goals,
signaling a shift from profit-driven to purpose-driven models. Key
elements include:
•Sustainability: Focusing on environmental, social, and governance
(ESG) factors.
•Employee well-being: Prioritizing mental health, inclusion, and
workplace culture.
•Customer trust: Building loyalty through ethical practices and
transparency.
Both of these shifts are influenced by growing societal expectations,
rapid technological advancements, and the interconnectedness of
modern economies.
Where do you see corporate leadership aligning with these shifts?
The
Difference….
• LEADERSHIP:
Is doing the right things your
way.
• MANAGEMENT:
Is doing things the right way.
The
Difference….
The Difference….
• Leadership is influencing and motivating a
group of people towards achieving a
common goal.
• Management is the process of getting
activities completed efficiently and
effectively with and through “ALL”
available resources.
What Makes a Great
Leader
D
TU
SK
TI
IL
E
AT
LS
KNOWLEDG
E
The Leadership Exercise
• Who do you think is the best leader?
• Why is that person the best leader?
• In “ONE WORD” describe why you
think he /she is the best leader?
• Describe the “Leadership Triangle”
Gardening and Leadership….
• Gardening may be the best comparison for your
strategic leadership.
• We create the right growing conditions, nurture
the soil, plant a diverse variety of healthy plants
that co-exist, and watch them grow.
• We adjust as we go along, take out weeds,
protecting, preventing insects & disease,
watering, and fertilizing.
• The end result usually includes some failures,
and some surprising successes, but we don’t
have control of various factors.
Gardening and Leadership….
• We need to learn how to create the right
growing conditions for healthy and
productive relationships, work, and
collaboration.
• We must innovate and reward the good and
eliminate the bad.
• We need to allow a diverse range of people,
views and strategies to co-exist for the good
and success of the organization.
Applying Gardening to
Strategic Leadership
FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION….IT
IS “MOTIVATION” TO BE A
SUCCESSFUL
Reasons That
Managers/ Leaders
Fail…..
• Avoids Responsibility and blames
others
• Unable to identify and solve
problems
• Poor people and or
communication skills
• Poor planner and organizer
• Lacks listening skills and do not
ask questions
• Not flexible, does not help other
Learning Approaches
used by Leaders
• People learn in different ways.
• The way you learn a skill may not be suitable for
another person.
• All of us have a “preferred” learning style.
• However, most people usually have two.
• Learning Styles are:
• Concrete
• Abstract
• Active
• Reflective
Are you ready to
play ball?
• Leaders should know how their people learn best.
• When you know how they learn best, you can take
advantage of their knowledge and potential and help
them grow.
• Exercise:
• In “ONE WORD”, how will you learn to play a new sport.
Being a new sport, you have no knowledge of what is and how
it is played.
• The new sport is called “Lama Ball”
Our retention for
learning is greater
The Learning
if we use more
than one learning
style:
Cycle
Concr
ete
1 Style = 25%
2 Styles = 50%
3 Styles = 75%
4 Styles = 90%
Reflecti Abstra
ve ct
Active
Learning Styles
Summary
• Concrete
• Go right into the task and do it
• Reflective
• Watching, observing another person do
something
• Abstract
• Reading to understand the material
• Active
• Systematic approach, step by step learning
What is the “BEST” Learning style and why?
“FIVE” Levels of
1.
Leadership
Position, mostly “Bosses” not “Leaders”
2. Permission, people follow you because they
are allowed to.
3. Production, people will follow because of
what you do.
4. People Development, you support and help
others.
5. Highpoint / At the TOP !!!, people will follow
because of what you have done and continue
to do.
Understanding Motivation
(Social Motives)
ACHIEVEMENT AFFILIATION POWER
Social Motives
Achieveme
nt
Affiliati
Power
on
Maslow’s
Hierarchy of
Needs/
Motivation
Padlock Analogy
• The right combination to influence
a group or person depends on
using the right combination of:
• Motivation
• Influencing strategies
• Precise skills
• By using the right combination we
can unlock the unlimited potential
Effective
Communication
• Describe the behavior
• Be specific
• Make the feedback useful
• Make the feedback timely
• Be fair and honest
Effective
Communication
• Intention vs.
Interpretation/Perception
Gap
• The more we shrink it the
more effective our
communication
Effective
Communication
• John Maxwell “the 16 undeniable laws
of communication”
• Law #1 = The law of credibility – the
most effective message is the one you
live
• Law #7 – the law of connecting – it’s all
about the other
Putting the connection over the content
(literally the connection is more impt.
Than the content)
When u connect with the audience u can
immediately find out what they value (and
give it to them)
People don’t care how much you know
until they know how much you care
5 Key
Considerations
when connecting
with people
• Realize u r not the main
attraction
Four Types of
Communication
What is
communication
The process of communication
is what allows us to interact
with other people; without it,
we would be unable to share
knowledge or experiences
with anything outside of
ourselves. Common forms of
communication include
speaking, writing, gestures,
touch and broadcasting.
• Wikipedia definition
Process of
communication
• Communication is the process of sending and
receiving information among people…
Feedback
receiver sender
Medium
Encode Decode
SENDER RECEIVER
“Intra-Personal”
Communication
Communication that occurs with
yourself:
Including your Thoughts and Emotions
“Inter-Personal”
Communication
Communication that occurs between two
people simultaneously, while attempting
to mutually influence each other
Usually for the purpose of managing
relationships
“Impersonal”
Communication
Communication that treats people as
objects, or that responds only to their
roles
Rather than who they are as unique
individuals
Effective Communication is
100% Your Responsibility
Whether you are the sender or the receiver!
Perception:
Unit Three
“I” Statements
•Accept responsibility for your emotions
•Use “I” statements. Say “I feel angry when…” rather than “You make me mad…”
Activity:
Consider the following statements you might make. How would
. you change
them into “I” statements?
1. You make me so mad when you don’t complete your work on
time.
2. My supervisor frustrates me when she doesn’t communicate
her expectations.
3. My employee aggravates me when she comes in late.
4. My boss made me happy when he complimented my financial
report.
5. Those students make me sad when
Effective they don’tinstudy
Communication and fail
the Workplace
5 Components
Unit Three of Your MessageExpressing Yourself
Your communication should include these five
important
components:
1. What you are seeing – have seen
2. What you are hearing – have heard
3. What you are feeling – have felt about the issue
4. What you need or want
5. What the positive result will be from
receiving/acting on your request
Components of Your 5
Message
Activity: For the three situations listed below, think how you
would
communicate:
• What you are seeing – have seen
• What you are hearing – have heard
• What you are feeling – have felt about the issue
• What you need or want
• What the positive result will be from receiving/acting on
your request
1. Your boss marked you low on your performance review.
This was the first
indication you had of how you were performing in your
job.
2. An employee you supervise has been frequently absent
causing lost
production and a hardship for the rest of the employees in
your unit.
3. Your coworker has been opening your mail and going
How we Communicate
Sp
ok
en
Wo r e s
rd P i ct u
s sua l
Vi
rds
o Bod
n W y Lan
it t e g uag
Wr e
Effective
Communication
Body Language
Maintain open body language for people to trust you
and feel comfortable around you
We all interpret body language differently and we
can also feel differently about images.
We are influenced by past experiences, background,
culture, and so on.
A gesture is a type of non-verbal communication that
is communicated through body language, with or
without speech.
If you travel around the world or work with people
from different cultures, you need to be aware of the
multiple meanings to some gestures.
The 7c’s of
effective communication
1.Completeness
2.Conciseness
3.Consideration
4.Clarity
5.Concreteness
6.Courtesy
7.Correctness.
ACTIVE
LISTENING
• Attending listening
• Following skills
• Reflecting skills
What is listening ?
• Listening is the absorption of the meanings of
words and sentences by the brain. Listening
leads to the understanding of facts and ideas.
EQ vs. IQ
IQ does not predict success
Emotional intelligence (EQ)
• Knowing your emotions
• Managing your emotions
• Motivating yourself
• Recognising emotion in others
• Handling relationships
What Is It Really?
• Connecting the rational and
emotional centers of the brain
• Thinking about feeling, doing
something constructive with feelings
Emotional Intelligence
Defined
“the capacity for recognizing our own
feelings and those of others, for
motivating ourselves, and for
managing emotions well in
ourselves and in our relationships”
— Daniel Goleman
Why Emotional
Intelligence?
“There is a growing body of research
findings that scientifically demonstrates
that emotional intelligence predicts how
well we perform at home, school and in
the workplace.”
Reuven Bar-On, Ph.D.
December 16, 2004
Those whose EQ is low…
• Are overrun by intense emotions
• Make difficult situations worse
• Unable to accurately identify
emotions
• Impulsive (thoughtless?)
Why EQ?
Why EQ?
• The more we think about what we are feeling
– and do something productive with that
feeling – the more developed this pathway
becomes. The more traffic in both directions
the better.
• This means if I typically yell when I’m feeling
angry, I have to learn to choose an alternative
reaction. I must practice this new reaction
many times before it will replace my urge to
yell.
Personal Benefits of
Emotional Intelligence
• Greater career success
• Stronger personal relationships
• Increased optimism and confidence
• Better coping with stress
• Better health
Professional Benefits of
Emotional Intelligence
• Effective leadership skills
• Improved communication
• Less workplace conflict
• Better problem solving skills
• Increased likelihood of promotion
(attitude is everything)
EQ & Leadership
• It’s essential in effective leadership
• It has a direct impact on work performance.
Leaders:
• Keep a positive attitude
• Are helpful
• Are cooperative
• Increase efficiency
“EMPLOYEE
ENGAGEMENT”
The extent to which employees feel a
sense of commitment to their
organization, to its values, goals and
objectives, and consciously and
conscientiously work toward achieving
those goals and objectives.
The extent to which employees find
value in their work, want to work and
want to contribute to their
organization’s success.
The extent to which employees choose
to invest their physical, mental and
emotional energy in their work and
their organization.
“EMPLOYEE
ENGAGEMENT”
The extent to which employees feel a
sense of commitment to their
organization, to its values, goals and
objectives, and consciously and
conscientiously work toward achieving
those goals and objectives.
The extent to which employees find
value in their work, want to work and
want to contribute to their
organization’s success.
The extent to which employees choose
to invest their physical, mental and
emotional energy in their work and
their organization.
Categories of Employee Extent of
Engagement in the workplace
• * Engaged
• * Disengaged
• * Actively Disengaged
Categories of Employee Extent of
Engagement in the workplace
5-Factor Definition of
Employee Engagement
1. Believe in and support the goals and objectives of the
business
2. Feel a sense of belonging to and pride in the company
3. Are willing to go the extra mile to ensure that personal
contributions help the department and overall organization to
be successful
4. Find Value, Create Value, Feel Valued
5. Resilient and Change-Ready
67
Engaged
and
Producti
Motivate
vity
d
Increase
Workfor
ce
Business
Growth
Employee
Engagement
Drivers
What Disengaged employees do @work:
What employees really want
• Employees want a positive
environment where they
can produce their best
work and be contributors
(instead of inhibitors)
Understanding Organizational Culture
• Organizational culture is the set of values, beliefs,
attitudes, systems, and rules that outline and
influence employee behavior within an organization.
• The culture reflects how employees, customers,
vendors, and stakeholders experience the
organization and its brand.
74
Cultural Web
• The cultural web model, developed by Gerry Johnson
& Kevan Scholes, is a framework used to understand
and analyze the culture of an organization.
• Stories represent the shared narratives that convey
the organization's history, values, and beliefs.
75
Cultural Web
• The Cultural Web provides us with an important
approach for understanding, analyzing, and changing
the organization's culture.
• Using it, we can expose cultural assumptions and
practices, and set to work aligning organizational
elements with one another, and with our strategy.
76
Cultural Web
77
Delegation
“The four “C’S”
• Directions should be COMPLETE
• Directions should be CONCISE
• Directions should be CLEAR
• Directions should be CARRIED-
OUT
Performance
Communication Feedback
• Of team + of individuals
• Describe the behavior
• Provide actual examples of the
behavior
• Be Specific
• Must relate to a standard
• Make the feedback timely
• Provide the feedback as soon as
possible
Time
Management
“The Most Valuable
Resource”
• Focus on SMART Goals and Action Plan
• Make a Daily “TO DO” List
• Take Action on the “TO DO” List
• Ask: What is the best use of my time
right now?
• Handle each piece of paper only once
• DO IT NOW………
Influences
“Most Important Skill”
• Research and studies have identified the “Skill of
Influencing” as the most important for Leaders, and
Managers!!
• Why?
• Because you have a direct impact on:
• People above you
• People around you
• People below you
Skillful Use of
Influence
• Influences
• Make others feel strong
• By personal examples such as positive
behaviors
• Explains why and shares information with
others
Behavior Types
Lose - Win Violates own rights.
Passive Others needs given
priority.
Aggressive Win - Lose Violates rights of others.
Own needs have
priority.
Respects both own
Assertive Win - Win
needs and needs of
others.
Self Control Behavior Exchange
PASSIVE / AGGRESSIVE
My My
Feelings Behavior
Ass
er t i
ve
Sh a
r ed
F ee
ling
s
Your Your
Behavior Feelings
PASSIVE / AGGRESSIVE
Leadership Styles
• Authoritarian • Pace-Setter
• Visionary + Inspires • Superman /
woman
• Affiliator
• Make Friends • Coercer
• Democrat • Dictator
• Listener + Many
Meetings
• Coach
• Help + Develop
Which Style Do
We Use?
PEOPLE TASK
SITUATIO
N
Leadership
Style
!Your Expectations
Manager
you
Employee
Categories of Employee Extent of
Engagement in the workplace
• * Engaged
• * Disengaged
• * Actively Disengaged
“EMPLOYEE
ENGAGEMENT”
The extent to which employees feel a
sense of commitment to their
organization, to its values, goals and
objectives, and consciously and
conscientiously work toward achieving
those goals and objectives.
The extent to which employees find
value in their work, want to work and
want to contribute to their
organization’s success.
The extent to which employees choose
to invest their physical, mental and
Engaged
and Productivit
Motivated y Increase
Workforce
Business
Growth
Employee
Engagement
Drivers
What Disengaged employees do @work:
What employees really want
• Employees want a positive
environment where they
can produce their best
work and be contributors
(instead of inhibitors)
Leadership Goal Setting
• Agree on the goals; people need to see the goal
• Make sure employees understand the expectations
• Hold to clear accountability
• Base goals on the 80/20 principle
• Goals should be short (no more than 250 words)
• Goals set clear performance measures in behavioural terms
• Do not make assumptions about understanding and clarity
• Provide feedback
Leadership Praises
• Catch people doing something right
• Positive Feedback is the number one motivator
• Be specific and immediate
• Encourage continued performance
• If ignored, good performance could stop
• Praising encourages the desired outcome and creates
good results
• Performance does not have to be perfect, praise
approximations
Leadership Reprimands
• Reprimands are a form of feedback
• Be immediate and specific as well
• Be tough on the performance not the person
• Redirect the desired outcomes
• Let them know it is over
Remote Leadership
• Leadership at a Distance: Building Trust
• The lack of face-to-face contact in electronic
communications removes the nonverbal cues that
support verbal interactions.
• There is no supporting context to assist the receiver with
interpretation of an electronic communication.
• The structure and tone of electronic messages can
strongly affect the response of receivers.
• An individual’s verbal and written communications may
not follow the same style.
• Writing skills will likely become an extension of
interpersonal skills
Encouraging Dialogue vs.
Controlling the Conversation
CONTROL DIALOGUE
• Encourages • Encourages
CONFLICT RESOLUTION
Leadership and
Ethics?
• Ethics are standards of right and wrong, good and
bad.
• Ethics are concerned with what we should to do to
fulfill our moral duty and responsibility.
• Ethics leads to a set of rules of conduct for specific
situations.
• Basic ethical principles guide the development of
standards for specific professions and groups.
Leadership and
Ethics
• Ethics is the heart of Leadership….
• Ethical leadership is the demonstration of:
• Appropriate conduct through personal actions,
relationships, and the promotion of such conduct
to subordinates through:
• Two-way communication
• Reinforcement
• Decision making
Six Pillars of Ethics
1. TRUST – Honesty, Loyalty
2. RESPECT – Polite, Tolerance
3. RESPONSIBILITY – Accountability, Self-Control
4. FAIRNESS – Neutral, Resolve Conflicts
5. CARING – “Heart of Leadership”, Tough Love
6. CITIZENSHIP – Obey Rules and Laws and Set
POSITIVE examples
Change Management
(CM):
Is the collective approach used to
prepare and support people and teams
with Organizational Change.Individuals
Current Transition Future
state state state
Supporting Current
state
Transition
state
Future
state
through all
transition Phases Current
state
Transition
state
Future
state
Success to be
Achieved by Leaders
• Plans alone, do not hold value.
• Value is realized through the collective actions of
100s or 1000s of employees
• Leaders are accountable for designing, executing,
and living the change.
The most
Successful Leaders:
• Learned how to respond to changes that
impacts their organizations.
• know how to plan for, and implement changes.
• Attend to people’s reactions and feelings
associated with the change.
Common mistakes
CMs make:
Thinking that communication, training, and rewards
are enough.
But they’re not, Culture of Engagement is
critical
Communication
vs Engagement:
A common mistake is thinking they’re the same thing.
• They are both different, but equally important
Change Management
Failure: 70%
Success in Change
Demands more than strategic and tactical plans.
It requires an intimate understanding of an
organization’s:
• culture
• values
• people
• and identifying the behaviors that must
change
Change management
vs project management
Technical side
Project management of the project
Current Transition Future
state state state
People side of
Change management
the project
RESISTANCE
• MANAGEMENT
Resistance is normal, but if persistent can cause
failure.
• Managing resistance increases Resistance
probability of success • Lowers productivity
• Loss of valued employees
• Reduces transition time • More sick time
Anticipate &
allow
for strong
•
emotions
Allow people to “let off steam”
• Communicate that emotions are natural
• anger
• frustration
• confusion
• anxiety
• and other emotions
Transition Journey:
The Four Stages of Change
Denial Commitment
Fear of unknown
Lose familiarity Performance grows
Weakness new role Job satisfaction returns
Threat of their status New relationships
Confidence & self-worth
Looking into future
Resistance Exploration
New patterns Some acceptance
Loss relationships Getting over feelings
Resentment Accepts new relationships
Threat of their status Requests more information
Stress, anger, anxiety, sad, indifferent Looks new opportunities
Performance drops
Change Management
Communication
ADKAR Gap Model
Change
Confusion
Resistanc
e
Fear/
Anxiety
Frustratio
n
Backslidi
ng
It is Your
• Lead Choice …..
• Follow
• Or…get OUT of the Way !!!
Thank You
