From Rulership to Leadership in the Arab World

Khalid Abdulla-Janahi

Description

A personal journey to understand the importance of leadership dedicated to aspiring leaders
This brief memoir recounts the journey of a man and lessons he accumulated on leadership by observing and questioning the status quo, and asking the penultimate question of why, from his childhood home in the small island of Bahrain, to his formative years as a student and professional in England, to his adulthood as a business leader, philanthropist, influencer and family man.
The book’s key observation is that there is an excess of rulership while leadership is almost always in deficit. The book questions how we can move from one to the other, which examples can we rely on in every sphere of our lives and how transformative more leadership would be.

Sujets

• Political Science
• Middle Eastern
• motivation
• Middle East
• World
• Leadership

Informations

• Publié par: Archway Publishing
• Date de parution: 14 février 2023
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781665736909
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

ABOUT THE BOOK
This brief memoir recounts the journey of a man and lessons he accumulated on leadership by observing and questioning the status quo, and asking the penultimate question of why, from his childhood home in the small island of Bahrain, to his formative years as a student and professional in England, to his adulthood as a business leader, philanthropist, influencer and family man.
The book’s key observation is that there is an excess of rulership while leadership is almost always in deficit. The book questions how we can move from one to the other, which examples can we rely on in every sphere of our lives and how transformative more leadership would be.
FROM RULERSHIP TO LEADERSHIP IN THE ARAB WORLD
 
 
The brief memoir of a non-conformist
 
 
KHALID ABDULLA-JANAHI
 
 
 

 
Copyright © 2023 Khalid Abdulla-Janahi.
 
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
 
This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.
 
 
Archway Publishing
1663 Liberty Drive
Bloomington, IN 47403
www.archwaypublishing.com
844-669-3957
 
Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.
 
ISBN: 978-1-6657-3692-3 (sc)
ISBN: 978-1-6657-3691-6 (hc)
ISBN: 978-1-6657-3690-9 (e)
 
Library of Congress Control Number: 2023900584
 
 
Archway Publishing rev. date: 03/15/2023
 
“Stay far and always be safe.”
– My grandfather
These words have echoed through my life and have served as a warning, a guide, and a comfort to me at different times. My father’s father would repeat them to me in colloquial Farsi when I was young, translating the phrase from an Arabic proverb.
What he did not know is that the original saying was in Arabic: Go far and come back safely , which traditionally applies to family matters.
In his broken understanding of Arabic, my grandfather’s words carried more wisdom than I first imagined: stay far from the center of power and you will be safe.
Every man and woman must choose the level of personal freedom with which they are comfortable. We each choose a path either to conform or go our own way. Some have fewer choices than others and may lose their freedom if they choose a path that is unacceptable to those who rule them. In the future, I hope we can all go far and come back safely, offering options to the next generation.
DEDICATION
This book is dedicated to the best leaders I have ever known, the four women who have shaped my life: my grandmothers, my mother, and my wife.
This book is also for all the young women and men who are trying to make sense of the current state of chaos so they can build dreams of the future. May they use their freedom to choose the life they want for themselves and for the next generation. May they become the leaders the world so desperately needs everywhere.
CONTENTS
Dedication
Prologue
Introduction
Evolution Not Revolution
The Calculus of Chance
Structure of this Book
PART I : A BRIEF MEMOIR
Chapter 1 : Nonconformist
My Parents
Teaching Ways
Constant Companion
Parting Ways with the Family
How Holi Am I?
The Gulf of Oil and Gas
Chapter 2 : Responsible
My Grandmother
Pearl Divers and Tailors
Chapter 3 : Meritocratic
Boyhood
Onion to the Rescue
False News
A Passion for Movies
Life on the Move
Winds of Change
Chapter 4 : Empathetic
My Mother
The Reckoning
Chapter 5 : Open-Minded
Secondary School
“A good mustache makes a man for many reasons.”
A Teenager in Lebanon – A Utopian Dream Interrupted
First Day of Intellectual Freedom
The End of an Era
Chapter 6 : Pragmatic
A Teenager in Manchester
Fun at University
Bombay Interlude
New Name, New Me?
Chapter 7 : Listener
Torn Between Two Lovers
The Souq
The Brief Return
Going Backwards
An Offer I Could Refuse
The Absence of Merit
Chapter 8 : Driven
Carrying Hot Coffee Up the Ladder
Training on the Job
Compost Corner
Hierarchy
The Long Return
Acceptance of Others
Chapter 9 : Responsive
On the Job
Chance and Love
Chewing Khat in Yemen
Hopes for Peace
Paris II
Chapter 10 : Trusted
Kuwait at War
Trust Your Instinct, Do What Feels Right
Chapter 11 : Motivator
Leaving Bahrain for Switzerland
Tigers, Cubs, and Scouts
Critical Thinking
Rules and Freedom
Home and Away from Home
Jahannam Can Wait
Chapter 12 : Representative
Finding an Arab Voice for Change
Axis of Evil and Future Presidents
Iraq in 2003
Arab Business Council
Clorox in Cairo
ABC in Bahrain
Back to India
Vote as I say, not as you want
Combatting Human Trafficking
Meeting Adjourned
End of the Arab Business Council
Chapter 13 : Inclusive
Moroccan Soiree in Davos
You’re Iranian
May 26, 2016
Insider/Outsider and a Troublemaker, Too
Improving the State of the World
PART II : OBSERVATIONS
Observation 1 : Idealism and Pragmatism
Independent Accountability
Public Servants
Observation 2 : Davos
Observation 3 : Arab Voices in Davos
Observation 4 : The Success of Dubai
Competition
Dubai – Part of the Real World
Non-bursting Bubble
Copycat
Opportunity Knocks Winner
Observation 5 : Redefining the Social Contract
So-called Arab Spring
New Social Contract – A Must
International Social Contracts
Observation 6 : Male Guardianship and Women
Observation 7 : The Shrinking Pie
Meritocracy
Observation 8 : Global Leadership in the Time of Crisis: The Case of the Pandemic
Observation 9 : Conformity is Unsustainable
Time Bomb
Observation 10 : The Social Contract Emergency
Mini Me
Observation 11 : When Growth is a Myth
Education Challenge
Look in the Mirror
Observation 12 : It’s High Time to Fight Hypocrisy
Politeness vs. Hypocrisy
Observation 13 : Why a Wealth Tax?
Shrinking Middle Class
VAT Hurts the Poor
Next Taxes
Wealth via Relationship
Observation 14 : Trying to Avoid a Crash Landing without Crushing the Middle
Immediate Challenge
Need for Unpopular Decisions
Private Sector
Balancing Budgets
Future of the Youth
Observation 15 : Great Visions and Wasted Opportunities
Observation 16 : Leadership through Ethics
Evolution vs. Revolution
No One Above the Law
Observation 17 : When Extortion becomes Legal
Lucky Common Sense
Nonstop Walking the Talk
Observation 18 : The Clear Need for Transparency in the Gulf Drive for Investment
Legal Redress
New Driver
Observation 19 : The Neighbor Who Flew Too Close to the Sun
Pay to Play
Observation 20 : The Middle East Needs Evolution, Not Revolution
Deliberate Process of Evolution
Cultural Shock
Observation 21 : Breaking Free from the Vicious Circle
True Modernity
True Intellect
State of Denial
Observation 22 : Stability Through Sustainability
Population Growth and Unemployment Dilemma
Invest in Infrastructure
Observation 23 : Skewed Middle East Equation
Long-term Goals
Observation 24 : Yes-Men Taking Over as the Middle East Elite
Tabalas and Lappies
Parasitic Behavior
Observation 25 : Nepotism
Observation 26 : Governance Yes … Governance No
“You Did Not Raise Your Hand.”
Bollywood Saga
Observation 27 : Freedom of Expression
Observation 28 : Creating Opportunity
Observation 29 : Education and Employment
Mismatch
Observation 30 : Protection
Wasted National Wealth
Observation 31 : Red Herrings
Palestine
Sunni–Shia Divide
Observation 32 : The Fourth Estate: Wishful Thinking in the Arab World?
Notable Exceptions
The Sword of Damocles
Dissent
Mercenary Editors
Western Media
Observation 33 : Give Peace a Chance
Observation 34 : Unofficially Exiled
PART III : MOVIES
Conclusion
Jack of All Brands
Disruptive
Contemporary Perspectives
Arab World Today
Love Thy Neighbor
Born Free
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
APPENDIX
Extract 1
Extract 2
Extract 3
About the Author
PROLOGUE
THE WHISPER THAT SPARKED A FLAME
Have you heard the one about the movie star and the son of a dictator in a room with a chartered accountant? It’s the story of how a spark led me to write this book. An American movie star lit the flame that led to setting this book into motion. More than 18 years passed between that moment in 2005 and when I felt the time was right. From the Arab Spring to the devastation wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic, and even the war in Ukraine, the Arab world has evolved at a slower pace than its geographical neighbors, and one would need to be blind