The visionary Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum pens a great read on modern governance and how leaders can combine enterprise with excellence, in Flashes of Thought Some leaders view challenges through a prism of opportunities and constantly raise the bar for governance. You can call it a breakout approach, that which is not restricted, but inspired by the past to set a vision for the future. So, when the leadership rises to a challenge, it grants free rein to a creative administration. The objective is simple — to increase the ‘per capita happiness’ of the country — which can often be onerous, as institutional ties often bog down leaders. In Flashes of Thought, His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai, seeks to break the shackles of traditional streams of governance through inspiring and dyn-amic leadership. The author of seven publications comes across as an intelligent leader with a clear perspective of the future — happy, though not content when it comes to what more he can do for the residents of Dubai and the UAE. There’s a streak of impatience running through his train of thought. He’s a leader in a hurry, a man on a mission who is most comfortable setting the pace of reform in this booming country. With little time to catch a breath in this pursuit of happiness, government services must be up to speed to serve the people. Time is not on our side and the time to act is now, he says. The author is an eager listener, learner and an avid reader of the thought process of the nation. He simply won’t rest on his laurels and on what the young country has achieved in its short history as a union. “The responsibility of development is a heavy one, the road is clear, the clock is ticking and our country will bear witness to our act-ions,” he writes. Shaikh Mohammed calls for creative thinkers to join in the nation’s progress, so slackers beware. New, innovative ideas are what should drive the country in its next phase of growth and this can come from all kinds of people — citizens and expats alike. What’s interesting about the book is the effort by Shaikh Mohammed to dwell on the positives — growth, development, education, empowerment and Emiratisation. He goads Emiratis to take the future into their hands, grab opportunities coming their way and rise up to challenges thrown at them. We should get accustomed to not getting accustomed, he writes. War and conflicts have wracked the region and the writer takes on his critics who say the country benefited from troubles in the Middle East. The UAE would have benefited more if there was peace in the region, he argues. But a region shorn of peace and an uncertain economic climate should not curtail the ability of leaders to take calculated risks. Shaikh Mohammed comes out battling for the entrepreneur while real batt-les rage elsewhere. His economics-can-trump-politics policy has proven effective and looks certain to work wonders in the future. Diversifying the economy from oil into other sectors has turned the eyes of the world to Dubai and the UAE. Millions of employment opportunities have been created and the country is a magnet for industry. As for branding, there’s the iconic Burj Khalifa. It’s a good read on modern governance and how leaders can combine enterprise with excellence if there is political will to push through economic initiatives. It parades success while not belittling and banishing those who dare to dream. Des-pite the country’s myriad achievements, the author is keen to keep the momentum going and is unafraid to ask, ‘what next’? It also reveals insights into his personal life and how he takes those big decisions that affect the UAE and the region. Gone are the eras of the great dictators. Modern leaders like Shaikh Mohammed are effective because they are great communicators. May their tribe increase.
Posted on: Sun, 17 Nov 2013 00:48:29 +0000
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