Advice for Future Leaders

Abdulrahman Bashaikh, COO of Al Rajhi Awqaf

Abdulrahman Bashaikh is the Chief Operating Officer of Awqaf Sulaiman Abdul Aziz Al Rajhi Holding Co. , and is a member of the board of directors of Sulaiman Al Rajhi University, Saudi Arabia.

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I have been blessed with an extensive and fulfilling career, which can best be described as continuous cycles of organizational development. I had to wear different caps and perform multiple roles. I had to assume the role of founder, leader, trainer and of course motivator (which what leaders do).

During this journey, I had the opportunity to lead different teams in different organizations. It was then that I discover the keys to motivating younger generations which is crucial for their growth. A motivated youth is always an asset to the world while a demotivated youth might end up a liability to themselves.

Leaders don’t have to be perfect

One advantage, among many, of contributing to team development is it is sometimes humbling experience. Especially when you uncover your own knowledge and practice gaps. These deficiencies no matter how trivial it may sound need to be rectified so you can deliver your utmost best.

That will direct you to identify your own training needs. It is also probably the best way to test your own theories via continuous dialogue with your team.  Leadership is not about being perfect, leadership is a set of interpersonal skills that leaders refine overtime.

What do leaders do?

Leaders motivate people to make sound decisions to grow the entity they all serve. Leaders vary in how they display their interpersonal skills and this is one reason why we see so many different leadership styles that work. Leaders are always able to improve their ways of empowering and motivating others.

They have to motivate people of different ages, educational levels, attitudes and interests. Leaders have a vision and they recruit people who share this vision on their teams so they can create synergy and impact.  Leaders embrace the organizational vision and use their skills to drive the people toward this vision.

Everyone agrees that values are important in leadership but there will be a disagreement. However, when it comes to implementation not everyone leverages values to the same extent. What is important is values can produce actions i.e. decisions, and the degree of consistency of these actions.

What do you need to become a future leader?

As a young team member preparing to become a future leader you will need to demonstrate a set of behaviors. These behaviors enforce your visionary leadership, helps you demonstrate the proper attitude, and grows your ability to motivate others. I have selected a set of behaviors I believe are essential to leaders. I have put them in easy to remember format, (APCD): Accountability, Passion, Communication and Discipline.

1 – Accountability

Accountability attracts the trust of others. It’s a sign of high focus and great self-confidence. Accountable people are independent and self-directed. They are natural leaders and sought after when it comes to achieving complex tasks.

Accountability centers on trustworthiness. It represents a psychological contract between leaders and their followers that they will try their best to guide, protect, and treat their followers justly.

2 – Passion

Passion gives life to leaders and without it, they get disconnected. It is the fuel that makes them last. Passion is the glue that keeps the team together without which the team will simply breakdown.

Teams with passion achieve more because they are connected to their leader. They are able to better accommodate their differences.  Leaders have to implant and maintain passion in their team. It requires mutual trust so demonstrating accountability is a prerequisite.

3 – Communication

Communication takes more than one person, your voice need not be the loudest, often times you need to listen first. Communication is imperative for leaders but leaders practice communication in different manners.

They all have found a way to motivate their team toward a common objective. Leaders also communicate their accountability, passion, and discipline. Some are great speakers and others are hard workers. But all of them are role models and can drive organizational results. Great leaders walk the talk. this is where values are important.

4 – Discipline

Discipline is about attitude. It is your message to others that you are committed to a common purpose. It identifies a pattern for achieving objectives and creates mutual expectations. A disciplined leader unifies organizational culture and orchestrates its performance. Discipline creates the synergy the organization needs to compete and win. That is the purpose of all leader.

Leadership is not about prestige or status it is about inspiring others to achieve what they thought was impossible.

Abdulrahman Bashaikh, COO of Al Rajhi Awqaf

Abdulrahman Bashaikh is the Chief Operating Officer of Awqaf Sulaiman Abdul Aziz Al Rajhi Holding Co. , and is a member of the board of directors of Sulaiman Al Rajhi University, Saudi Arabia.

www.asrhc.com/?lang=en