I was going through my old emails last week and came across correspondences with friends that included photos from their travels. My inbox rarely contains such emails nowadays because my friends and I share our news and photos from our travels on social media.
In the past decade, social media not only helped to connect us with friends, it also brought business leaders closer to their customers. It changed the game for customer service and provided customers with a window into the inner workings of their favourite brands, allowing them to voice concerns directly with business leaders.
However, many business leaders use social media to share a filtered version of their businesses. Rarely do we come across businesses or leaders who share their vulnerability or moments of failures online. Yet, ironically, this is exactly what would bring business leaders closer to their teams and customers.
My colleague manages a marketing consultancy that motivates brands to grow and reach a wider audience. Yet, he struggles to motivate his team or inspire his clients. He has a formal, serious persona, where his every move seems meticulously calculated. His team complained he came off as distant and not as motivating as his brand aims to be.
Just like many others, he believes the key to effective leadership is to hide vulnerability and adopt an in-control, strong front. But browsing videos on YouTube such as Ted Talks or talk shows like AB Talks, which feature prominent personalities and celebrities, demonstrate the exact opposite of what people find effective. They prove how humility, authenticity and sharing vulnerabilities and moments of weakness are in fact inspiring. These aspects humanise leaders and experts, making them more relatable.
I distinctly remember that some of the first comments I heard from friends who started tuning into beauty mogul Huda Kattan’s blog 10 years ago were about how honest and relatable she was. And that was what helped her get loyal followers for her blog, and her beauty products that followed.
Apple’s chief executive Tim Cook is among the other effective business leaders who are not shy of taking responsibility when their company’s products fail.
There’s a strong connection between vulnerability and trust. When we relate to people, we trust them and that can positively affect business performance. A study by Harvard Business Review showed that if a hotel’s employees trusted their managers more one-eighth of a point on its trust barometer, the company’s profitability increased by 2.5 per cent.
Luckily, business leaders can be trained to share their vulnerability, which, in turn, would help them connect better with their teams and customers.
The best way to start is by studying others. Look at inspirational personalities who share their vulnerabilities and how that has helped them become more influential. A good example here is American media mogul Oprah Winfrey, who often discusses her weaknesses and failures on her television show. Her personal approach made her feel relatable and that’s what helped her to become one of the most popular and influential television personalities of our time.
Start at home. Inspire your team by getting to know them on a personal level. If you want to motivate your team, share your own experience. Be honest about the mistakes you’ve made and how you overcame them.
You can cultivate a culture of authenticity and encourage an open dialogue across the organisation by dedicating the first few minutes of a meeting to discuss various topics such as lessons learnt, failures, success and aspirations. Or, if your schedule permits, you can incorporate a catch-up meeting with your team every week to discuss everything but work.
Incorporate an open culture and a personal approach in your brand’s story and share your successes as well as moments of weakness with your customers.
Do that by sharing behind the scenes or narrate your brand’s story by including everything from your moments of success to moments of failure.
In a world where we are bombarded by filtered content, businesses and leaders who demonstrate vulnerability are a breath of fresh air.
Manar Al Hinai is an award-winning Emirati journalist and entrepreneur who manages her marketing and communications company in Abu Dhabi
RESULTS
Women:
55kg brown-black belt: Amal Amjahid (BEL) bt Amanda Monteiro (BRA) via choke
62kg brown-black belt: Bianca Basilio (BRA) bt Ffion Davies (GBR) via referee’s decision (0-0, 2-2 adv)
70kg brown-black belt: Ana Carolina Vieira (BRA) bt Jessica Swanson (USA), 9-0
90kg brown-black belt: Angelica Galvao (USA) bt Marta Szarecka (POL) 8-2
Men:
62kg black belt: Joao Miyao (BRA) bt Wan Ki-chae (KOR), 7-2
69kg black belt: Paulo Miyao (BRA) bt Gianni Grippo (USA), 2-2 (1-0 adv)
77kg black belt: Espen Mathiesen (NOR) bt Jake Mackenzie (CAN)
85kg black belt: Isaque Braz (BRA) bt Faisal Al Ketbi (UAE), 2-0
94kg black belt: Felipe Pena (BRA) bt Adam Wardzinski (POL), 4-0
110kg black belt final: Erberth Santos (BRA) bt Lucio Rodrigues (GBR) via rear naked choke
More on animal trafficking
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
Racecard
%3Cp%3E5pm%3A%20Al%20Bateen%20%E2%80%93%20Maiden%20(PA)%20Dh80%2C000%20(Turf)%202%2C200m%3Cbr%3E5.30pm%3A%20Al%20Khaleej%20%E2%80%93%20Maiden%20(PA)%20Dh80%2C000%20(T)%201%2C400m%3Cbr%3E6pm%3A%20Wathba%20Stallions%20Cup%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(PA)%20Dh70%2C000%20(T)%201%2C400m%3Cbr%3E6.30pm%3A%20Al%20Nahyan%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(PA)%20Dh80%2C000%20(T)%201%2C600m%3Cbr%3E7pm%3A%20Al%20Karamah%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(PA)%20Dh80%2C000%20(T)%201%2C600m%3Cbr%3E7.30pm%3A%20Al%20Salam%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(TB)%20Dh80%2C000%20(T)%201%2C400m%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The biog
Marital status: Separated with two young daughters
Education: Master's degree from American Univeristy of Cairo
Favourite book: That Is How They Defeat Despair by Salwa Aladian
Favourite Motto: Their happiness is your happiness
Goal: For Nefsy to become his legacy long after he is gon
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
The specs: 2018 Volkswagen Teramont
Price, base / as tested Dh137,000 / Dh189,950
Engine 3.6-litre V6
Gearbox Eight-speed automatic
Power 280hp @ 6,200rpm
Torque 360Nm @ 2,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 11.7L / 100km
The specs: Lamborghini Aventador SVJ
Price, base: Dh1,731,672
Engine: 6.5-litre V12
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 770hp @ 8,500rpm
Torque: 720Nm @ 6,750rpm
Fuel economy: 19.6L / 100km
Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
The Little Things
Directed by: John Lee Hancock
Starring: Denzel Washington, Rami Malek, Jared Leto
Four stars
Janet Yellen's Firsts
- In 2014, she became the first woman to lead the US Federal Reserve
- In 1999, she became the first female chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers
New UK refugee system
- A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
- Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
- A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
- To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
- Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
- Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
RESULTS
Lightweight (female)
Sara El Bakkali bt Anisha Kadka
Bantamweight
Mohammed Adil Al Debi bt Moaz Abdelgawad
Welterweight
Amir Boureslan bt Mahmoud Zanouny
Featherweight
Mohammed Al Katheeri bt Abrorbek Madaminbekov
Super featherweight
Ibrahem Bilal bt Emad Arafa
Middleweight
Ahmed Abdolaziz bt Imad Essassi
Bantamweight (female)
Ilham Bourakkadi bt Milena Martinou
Welterweight
Mohamed Mardi bt Noureddine El Agouti
Middleweight
Nabil Ouach bt Ymad Atrous
Welterweight
Nouredine Samir bt Marlon Ribeiro
Super welterweight
Brad Stanton bt Mohamed El Boukhari
Bookshops: A Reader's History by Jorge Carrión (translated from the Spanish by Peter Bush),
Biblioasis
More on animal trafficking
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
The five pillars of Islam
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
