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GE by lEadinG
restlessness is discontent and discontent is the first necessity of progress. show me a thoroughly satisfied man and i will show you a failure. Thomas Edison

ExamplE
governments are spending billions of dollars to create employment opportunities for young people, but there are some private institutions that also place a high premium on training their workers of tomorrow.
by rory c oen

ver the past few months, Qatar Today has focused quite heavily on the theme of entrepreneurship and how to empower Qatars youth to lead their country in the post-2030 era. Todays teenagers will be tomorrows leaders. Through a number of different concepts such as Qatar Foundation and its various initiatives the government is trying to inculcate a fresh national ideology so these kids will be ready to take the reins of the country in the future. However, there are some local and multi-national companies in Qatar that are willing to carry some of this burden and responsibility. They recognise that the government can only do so much to train individuals for certain roles. Its largely up to the companies themselves to mould talented and promising young-

sters to their requirements not just nine-to-five workers, but leaders who can inspire, create and take their company into a new ear of prosperity as well. Create the future At multinational conglomerate GE, they say: Why predict the future, when you can create it? GEs President and CEO for the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey, Nabil Habayeb, is an ambassador for that slogan and stresses that preparing young Arab talent for professional and technical careers in sectors that are vital to drive social and economic growth is a fundamental part of GEs approach for the Middle East region, which is led not only through traditional training programmes but also through partnerships with universities and academic institutions. In the past two years we have invested more than QR1.8 billion in localisation initiatives, said Habayeb, significant among them being the GE Advanced Technology Research Centre (GE ATRC) in Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP); the QR900 million GE Energy Manufacturing Technology Centre in Saudi Arabia; and the GE Water and Process Technologies Regional Centre of Excellence in Jebel Ali (UAE). Our strategy is to invest in localising GEs capabilities and build the regions capacity through a focus on innovation and training, he continued. We develop

62 Qatar today

october 2012

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local talent and skill at GE ATRCs aviation training centre and our Leadership Acceleration for Business centre in Abu Dhabi. To encourage continued learning, we partner with Technical and Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC) in Saudi Arabia, in addition to knowledge partnerships with more than 25 universities and educational institutions across the region, including King Abdullah University of Science and Technology. Investing in GE talent GE invests in talent development through a variety of initiatives, including graduate programmes, experienced leadership programmes and workshops. But more specifically, they are bringing specialised courses and training to incumbent GE employees. The focus of our leadership development initiatives is highlighted by our Leadership Acceleration for Business (LAB) centre, a corporate learning development centre in Abu Dhabi modelled on GEs Crotonville executive education programme, said Habayeb. We also conduct specialised workshops for students enrolled in universities in the Middle East who have undertaken career outreach programmes in addition to taking part in career fairs. The topics covered at the workshops are varied and include operational aspects as well as self-development programmes for the students including resume writing, interview skills and job search. These workshops are led by experienced executives from the different businesses of the company as well as human resources experts. GEs entry-level leadership programmes offer recent college graduates top development opportunities that combine real world experience with formal classroom study. Every year we hire 1,000 students globally into leadership programmes. Through a series of rotating assignments typically over two-year periods new professionals receive accelerated professional development, world-class mentoring and global networking that cuts across all our businesses. Our leadership programmes cover many sectors in detail, from engineering to financial management. The majority of our candidates were hired from the GCC region. The Business Management Course (BMC) is one of GEs renowned training courses brought from the US to the region for the first time for senior executives from across GEs businesses. Its key objective is to enable our senior leaders to address opportunities with novel and innovative thought and approach, said Habayeb. It brings GEs brightest and most capable minds from across the world to work on some of our customers issues in the region and find the right solutions, bringing in great minds to work together, thus adding a fresh perspective and cultural diversity to problem solving. What is a leader? What is GE really searching for with these programmes and training courses? As Thomas Edison so modestly phrased it, regarding his achievements: I

leaders must also continue to learn, evolve and build their expertise. they must surround themselves with a great team that brings diverse points of view to the table.
nabil habayeb
pResident and ceo, mena and tuRkey, Ge.

merely continued where others left off. Is it looking for the right people at the right time? What qualities must one have to become a leader at GE? We have found that inspirational leaders share several core characteristics that successful entrepreneurs must also exhibit, said Habayeb. They are focused externally, collaborating with governments, partners, NGOs and customers from across the communities they serve. They must be decisive and strategic, thinking clearly through different possibilities and adapting actions based on new situations and information. Leaders must also continue to learn, evolve and build their expertise. They must surround themselves with a great team that brings diverse points of view to the table. And finally, they must have both the imagination to solve problems in innovative ways and the courage to implement new ideas and take risks for the right reasons. Irrespective of the size of the organisation, these are commonalities that carry through inspirational leaders at every enterprise, from high-tech startups to established Fortune 500 conglomerates. Failure Culture Theres a perception that a failure culture within an institution is proactive, as it means staff are willing to try something different maybe a little risky for the good of the company. But is this a realistic ideology? Is it something a CEO at GE should be promoting? The fear of failure is in fact a bigger handicap for an organisations growth than failure itself. In todays competitive growth environment, organisations must continuously evaluate and re-assess their goals, objectives and processes. This calls for a commitment to innovation and imagination - both central to GEs organisational credo. Putting in the fear of failure stifles the desire and ability to innovate. I believe that all good leaders must promote a culture of innovation, where there is always the room to learn from errors and mistakes. The important aspect of this approach is to ensure that we continue to learn, so our next step forward is smoother and more efficient.

quick look

QR million cost of the Ge eneRGy manufactuRinG technoloGy centRe in saudi aRabia

900

eveRy yeaR, Ge hiRe

1,000
students Globally into leadeRship pRoGRammes.

october 2012

Qatar today 63