Research by Oxford Leadership Development and Research (OxfordLDR) suggests that the development of world-beating leadership skills could increase UAE company profits by around 15% and, therefore, add around $7.8bn pa to UAE listed companies’ profits (See full paper for all details[1]).
OxfordLDR’s research is consistent with global research (cited), which found that companies with high quality leadership are three times more likely to be among the top performing organisations financially. while also driving important additional benefits for organisations of higher employee engagement, productivity, retention, and loyalty.
Given the enormous financial impact of high-quality leadership, forward thinking companies are right to focus investment into developing their leaders. In 2023, training industry research suggests that organizations invested round $3.5 billion annually in leadership development solutions and programs. But still, OxfordLDR found that only 12% of companies worldwide report confidence in the quality of their leadership pipeline and only 40% of leaders feel that they are equipped to handle future challenges.
The enormous investments in training over many years do not seem to have materially raised the overall standards of leadership. This data underscores the need for a more effective and tailored approach to leadership development.
But what is ‘world-beating leadership effectiveness’ and how can it be achieved?
Professor William Scott-Jackson of OxfordLDR points out that the term ‘leadership’ is used to mean anything from the strategic direction of a multi-billion business through to the man-management of a small team. Of course, the goals, responsibilities and tasks involved are completely different for each role. However, OxfordLDR’s research has found that high quality training for ‘first-line’ leaders is often either non-existent or based on anecdotal observations and generic frameworks of successful transformational leaders. At the other extreme, the expensive training or coaching of mid-level and senior strategic leaders is frequently based on generic theories, styles, practices and case studies of low relevance. If these methodologies had worked, then effective leadership could be achieved by simply replicating the style and practices outlined in any successful CEO’s memoir. But, in fact, the essence of strategic leadership is that the context is completely unique, and every strategic leader must be consistently effective in dealing with the unique circumstances that ultimately drive organizational success – whether that is growth, value creation or other strategic priorities. Development must be designed to meet those very specific challenges.
Based on OxfordLDR’s experience working with GCC governments, well known organisations and entrepreneurial family firms, we aim to help UAE organisations address these opportunities and to raise their leaders (at all levels) to even greater heights and to achieve world-beating levels of leader effectiveness (with all the benefits that provides). For organisations, OxfordLDR will provide precision-tailored leadership development to achieve specified organisational goals based on robust forensic analysis and impact forecast. For example, in one major retailer, tailored leadership development led to four-fold increase in profits in the targeted stores and in OxfordLDR’s study with the Chartered Management Institute the top indicator of value for investors was the quality of leadership.
OxfordLDR is launching two key initiatives designed to address the leadership effectiveness gap:
- Bespoke Leadership Development for Leaders
Effective leadership development must be tailored to an organization’s unique context, challenges, and strategic goals. As the foundation of any new leadership development program, the OxfordLDR will conduct an in-depth analysis—leveraging existing data sources such as engagement surveys — to identify critical leadership issues and opportunities. This analysis will shape our customized leadership methodologies to ensure leaders develop the skills necessary to achieve specific organizational objectives and drive value for their organization.
- Impact Research Initiative to maximise Leadership Standards Across the UAE
OxfordLDR is launching an extensive research project to identify the most effective leadership strategies worldwide, contextualizing these insights for the UAE’s unique environment. By analysing best practices and distinctive regional leadership capabilities, the initiative aims to recommend high-impact actions to elevate leadership effectiveness to world-class standards that deliver a measurable impact on business growth and generate value.
About Oxford Leadership Development and Research (OxfordLDR)
Oxford Leadership Development and Research is a joint venture between the Oxford Centre for Impact Research and Breakthrough Minds
About Oxford Centre for Impact Research (OCIR): OCIR is a leading research institution dedicated to studying and improving leadership impact through data-driven methodologies and evidence-based strategies.
About Breakthrough Minds (BM): Breakthrough Minds specializes in programs that create future ready leaders. We design bespoke leadership development experiences for some of the world’s most successful companies, equipping leaders to reliably drive effective growth and maximize stakeholder value.
[1] Scott-Jackson & Macdonald (2025) Impact of Effective Leadership in the UAE. Oxford LDR Working Paper (https://www.academia.edu/128811247/Impact_of_Effective_Leadership_in_the_UAE_Oxford_Leadership_Development_and_Research_OxfordLDR_Working_Paper_2025)
