Tell us about your background and what it is you do?
I worked in the field of education before setting up my own venture, Glinks International, which is one of the prominent international education service providers in the Middle East and India, headquartered in Dubai. I am currently working leading my organization as a CEO alongside mentoring students to achieve their educational goals every step of the way and help them shape up their careers.
I started my career as a junior data entry operator with one of the largest immigration and relocation firms based in India and in a short span of time became the AGM, handling 12 overseas locations for the firm. In my decade long stint with the company, I was assigned duties to handle the business and was transferred to Dubai in 2005.
With a passion to contribute to the Education sector and motivation received from my friends and family, I embarked on my entrepreneurial journey in 2010 by establishing Glinks International with a vision to provide better opportunities for students seeking higher education abroad.
How do you define a great leader?
In my opinion, someone who possesses an unconditional commitment to follow ethics, inspires a shared vision, motivates others to act, and encourages people with a true heart. Great leaders build a community of leaders around themselves and create opportunities for others to grow and lead.
What do you believe are the most important character traits to be a successful leader?
A leader must stay a learner throughout their life, keeping the passion alive for the work they do and actively mentoring people around them by nourishing talent in the right way, and keeping a growth mindset. It’s imperative for a leader to be a visionary and set the right goals to achieve that vision.
What skills should a leader focus on developing?
When you are leading the team from the front, juggling multiple tasks, being creative and critical at the same time, you tend to miss out on listening to your teams. To be a good leader, one must continue to challenge his/her own capabilities, take appropriate risks wherever required, and remain emotionally stable while making key business decisions.
What are your top strategies for building a successful team?
I am absolutely against the ‘Senior-Junior’ culture in organizations. At Glinks, every employee is treated equally and is assigned responsibilities that justify their capabilities. I focus on imbibing culture in my organization where everyone respects each other and treats one another equally. Every team member is motivated to share their set of learning and empower each other by knowledge sharing. I have always focused on creating a deep sense of belongingness for all my teammates.
What is your favorite leadership quote?
Titles don’t make leaders, action does!
What do you believe are the biggest challenges facing leaders in MENA? And how do you believe they can be overcome?
Leaders all around the world are dealing with a few common challenges. Resistance to change is one of the key reasons why leaders fail and that eventually impacts the overall business growth trajectory. Some reasons are interlinked; lack of active efforts to motivate people to adapt to new changes or being receptive to keep learning results in resistance to change. A good leader must keep a change strategy in place.
