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"NEVER BURN YOUR BRIDGES"

It is imperative while assuming leadership roles in life to become a proactive, dynamic person that confronts challenges, has a high threshold to working with multiple cultures and learning from them, stays positive and learns from failures, and remains forever enthusiastic, Shaikha Lubna Al Qasimi, CEO of Tejari.com told students of Zayed University (ZU) yesterday.

Shaikha Lubna, who was addressing students as part of ZU's Readiness Programme, on leadership and what it took to be leadership material, revealed nuggets of her personal life including her early years and schooling, her early jobs and what made her achieve the position and respect with which society views her today.

"I passed out from a government school, there was no Chouiefat then, and I remember right through school I always managed to hold either the first or second rank! When I did get the second rank, I used to go back home screaming, and my mother used to say: 'Oh, no! She has come second this time!' I refer to this to show you that excelling in life has to come from within you, try to balance your many interests, one should not be at the expense of the other, be a versatile multi-talented person, and leadership will come easily to you!" She told the students.

Shaikha Lubna also recalled how when she graduated from school and had to decide about her choice of career, she opted for IT and Computer Science, which was virtually unheard of in those days. "Today when I look back, I realise it was the best decision I made in my life because from 1975 to 2004, the technology field has grown so much, entering every aspect of our lives, including the Sciences, Art, Culture, making a difference everywhere. I am respected today for the knowledge I possess, which only a per cent of society does. Go out and equip yourself with that knowledge and dare to dream that you can make a difference," Shaikha Lubna averred.

The Shaikha was also quick to stress the importance of learning many languages and imbibing aspects of different cultures which she said could prove to be an invaluable asset for any business. "At Tejari, we have 52 people who represent 16 different nationalities. Knowing cultures is important for any leader, it teaches you to celebrate differences, be open to new ideas, and learn tolerance, whose importance cannot be underlined enough," she told the students.

Other interesting vignettes included her first job for an Indian software company, on a salary of Dh5000, her higher education pursuits in the UK, the US and Japan, all of which she rated as turning points in her life, which offered her diverse cultural experiences, and the delivery of business profitability, in a highly charged and competitive environment, a must she said, for any leader.

" Very often with technology, people are apprehensive because they think you hold a power of knowledge that they don't know anything about, it is important for you to be able to simplify things and take them to the user at a level that does not appear intimidating. Women leaders are often not given the respect they deserve, as some men may be wary about working in a place where women call the shots, so it is important to ignore such bias and put your best foot forward to deliver the profits and productivity that makes you a worthy leader," she pointed out.

Shaikha Lubna urged the students to be driven by their principles, which are often shaped by their value systems and upbringing, pointing out that 50 per cent of one's beliefs stemmed from one's community. She also asked them to develop a sense of honesty and integrity for their organisations, and to adopt an approach of learning from one's failure, which very few people actually attempted to do.

"Never burn your bridges — always leave any organisation on cordial terms, because in today's dynamic work place, you never know — someone who has been working for you could be your boss tomorrow!" Shaikha Lubna wisely opined. She also urged all students aspiring to be tomorrow's leaders to walk the talk, and be team players who would not just sit in their ivory towers and give orders, but actually work with the team towards their implementation.

About the inspirations in her life, Shaikha Lubna counted her parents, General Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and UAE Defence Minister, for raising the bar for her on IT awareness by reposing constant faith in her while she was doing her MBA, and Dr. Farouk El Baz, an Egyptian scientist who had worked with NASA, and performed yeomen service to the Arab World by putting the region on the map for astral science.

She said it was her conviction to make the world a better place and focus not just on Dubai or the AGCC but the entire world, as problems in one part of the world indubitably, today, caused ripples and reverberations in some other part. "Life is a journey and we work very hard to achieve our goals at the end...we might as well enjoy the role," Shaikha Lubna concluded.

Despite the enthusiasm of the speaker, ZU students seemed to greet her words with a somewhat lacklustre response, hesitating to rise and ask her some questions. The day was salvaged by some of the faculty who asked her about her message to the students, and about daring to dream.

When asked how easy it was to work with men for an Arab woman, Shaikha Lubna said succinctly: "I find it easier to work with an enthusiastic person, whether that is a man or woman. It is immaterial in the workplace, and frankly men just like women colleagues will give you respect and treat you the way you treat them!"

She also had this parting pearl of wisdom to deliver to the students: "Life is always difficult, what makes it fun is facing and overcoming challenges effectively, and coming out on top!"