“Government Leadership Talks” Highlights Mechanisms To Enhance Institutional Resilience

The UAE Government Leaders Programme (UAE GLP) organized two discussion session titled ‘The Leadership Spirit’ and ‘The Economic Horizons’ as part of the “Government Leadership Talks” series.

The sessions highlighted the key qualifications and distinctive attributes of leadership and ways of analyzing indicators and drawing up strategies to enhance the ability of government entities to adapt to future challenges.

The “Government Leadership Talks” series aim to establish effective leadership practices through highlighting successful case studies and exposing its participants to experiences of prominent UAE government leaders and international speakers.

The sessions hosted Dr. Jihad Azour, Director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and His Excellency Humaid Rashid Al Shamsi, Secretary-General of the Executive Council of Umm Al Quwain, in the attendance of Dr. Yasir Al Naqbi, Assistant Director General for Leadership and Government Capabilities at the Prime Minister’s Office at the Ministry of Cabinet Affairs and the Future, Saqr Ahmed Al Maazmi, Director of the UAE Government Leaders Program, and a group of government officials.

Dr. Al Naqbi noted that the UAE is keen to build government leaders through knowledge-sharing initiatives, and enhance communication among potential leaders, government entities, and international organizations.

“The Government Leadership Talks series introduces national talent to the most important future trends, and equips them with relevant tools and skills to develop effective solutions,” he added.

Building Strategies to Meet Future Economic Challenges

‘The Economic Horizons’ session aimed to empower members of the UAE Government Leaders Program to forecast future scenarios and formulate flexible strategies to deal with potential challenges and opportunities.

During the session, Dr Azour discussed the economic developments and trends in the Middle East and North Africa, presenting a holistic overview of the region’s economic landscape. He highlighted best mechanisms to study future developments triggered by regional and global geopolitical changes.

He also underscored the importance of ensuring that public and private sector leaders are able to analyze indicators and estimate their consequences to achieve positive outcomes.

Furthermore, Dr Azour predicted a rise in growth levels among countries of the GCC region in 2019. He attributed this to the region-wide economic plans and ambitious strategic visions that prioritize diversifying national economies, preserving resources and motivating young leaders to participate in sustainable development efforts to build a brighter future for the coming generations.

Leadership Character Traits

During ‘The Leadership Spirit’ session, His Excellency Humaid Rashid Al Shamsi reviewed the most important attributes that characterize leaders in the 21^st century. He said that a good leader believes in the ability of achieving what others might consider impossible, listens to diverse points of view, has an in-depth understanding of the experience, specializations and skills of the team members, and excels at promoting innovative ideas.

He also said that qualifying government leaders, expanding their expertise and honing their capabilities through sharing successful experiences in the public and private sectors helps enhance government work and transform challenges into opportunities to support socio-economic and human development for the wider benefit of the community.

He stressed the importance of developing aspiring leaders through quality programs to upscale their work performance and productivity, and noted that such efforts significantly contribute to achieving the national priorities of the UAE Vision 2021.