Leadership Style of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum

Ahmad Mohammad Sahyouni

Higher Institute for Administrative Development, Damascus University,
Damascus, Syria
Email: Sahyouni.ahmad@yahoo.com

Abstract
Leader always guides people and motivates them to achieve the common goals, but
leaders different from each other in the way that follows to accomplish these goals. This
way is defined as leadership style of the leader.

This paper describes the leadership style of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al
Maktoum, vice president and prime minister of the United Arab Emirates and ruler of
Dubai, who transformed Dubai to be one of the most modern cities in the world.

This paper concludes that Sheikh Mohammed’s leadership style is determined by

having a permanent relationship and bold vision, leading as head of family, using time
effectively, holding responsibility, respecting others and being the best. Also concludes
that he is a democratic leader and has some features of a charismatic leader.

Keywords: Sheikh Mohammed, Dubai, Leadership Style

1. Introduction
Dubai is one of seven emirates which make up the United Arab Emirates and the
second largest city after Abu Dhabi. It transformed from a small fishing port in 1960s to
one of the most developed cities in the world at the present time. This development and
progress of Dubai are committed to Al Maktoum family in general and to Sheikh
Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum (Sheikh Mohammed) in particular who successfully
converted Dubai to be a worldwide city by his ideas and leadership style.

This paper discusses the thought and leadership of Sheikh Mohammed, which
enabled Dubai to attain all these achievements in a short time after becoming the ruler of
Dubai in 2006.

The current study is organized as follows: the next section following the introduction
discusses the leadership styles. The third section background of Sheikh Mohammed is
discussed. The fourth and fifth sections provide the leadership style of Sheikh
Mohammed and conclusion respectively.

2. Leadership Styles
Leadership is defined as the art of influence others, and guides them properly to earn
their obedience, respect, loyalty and cooperation towards a common goal. (Riggio &
Reichard, 2008).

And the way in which a leader typically provides direction and motivates others is called
“Leadership Style”. In general, researchers classified styles of leadership into many
categories as follows:

2.1. The Democratic leader

This leader always shares his people the information to cope with problems and take
decisions. Thus, creates a social unit within the team can be in the interests of business.
By adopting this constructive suggestions offered by his/ her subordinates, leader can
derive the power. This approach also encourages creativity, innovation and can build a
strong motivation to work and a sense of belonging. (Lewin, Lippitt, & White, 1939)
2.2. The Autocratic leader
This leader always keeps the power and decision making in his hand and doesn’t
allow subordinates to involve in any of them, they only obey the orders given by the
leader; no matter if they are convenient or not. This leader holds the whole of the
responsibility and authority alone. (Lewin, Lippitt, & White, 1939)

2.3. The bureaucratic leader

This leader is highly committed to the laws and regulations without any flexibility.
And he minimizes the leadership in a series of routine procedures. The leader determines
the obligations of subordinates according to the law without any flexibility of doing any
work. Subordinates don’t have any innovation and they only obey the law and orders.
They also don’t add effort to their job because they can be punished if they go out of the
limits of the laws and regulations and prefer to remain in safety. (Weber, 1905)

2.4. The Laissez-faire leader

This leader offers the absolute freedom to the subordinates to do the things they want
and he relies on them to build targets, solve problems and choose the right methods of
doing their work. This leader is considered as a negative leader because he left the
initiative in the hands of workers without any guidance or direction. (Lewin, Lippitt, &
White, 1939).

2.5. The Charismatic leader

This leader encourages his team and increases their energy to gain more followers
depending on his ability to behave and communicate with them. There are no special
characteristics of this leader, but he is always good at communication and has a very
good emotional level. Any success is ascribed to him not to his team.

Usually, the team take time to be confident with other leaders because they have
committed to his charisma (Weber, 1905).

3. Leadership Style of Sheikh Mohammed

3.1. Background of Sheikh Mohammed
Sheikh Mohammed is UAE vice president and prime minister and Ruler of Dubai since
2006, was born in Dubai 1949, married to Hind bint Maktoum Al Maktoum (His cousin)
and to Haya bint Al Hussain (sister of the King of Jordan) and he has 23 sons and
daughters. He studied Arabic and Islamic studies before joining the school, and in 1965
he graduated from Dubai secondary school. In 1966, he traveled to the UK and studied
English at Bell Educational Trust's English Language School. Later he studied at the
Mons Officer Cadet School (military training center).

In 1969 he became the head of the Dubai Police Force, after that, in 1971, he became
the minister of defense on December 2nd. In 1995, has been appointed to be Dubai’s
Crown Prince. On 4 January 2006, he became the ruler of Dubai, one day after that, he
was chosen to be the vice president of the United Arab Emirates. On 11 February, he was
chosen by the Federal National Council as UAE Prime Minister. (Wikipedia, 2016)

3.2. Leadership Style of Sheikh Mohammed

Dubai now not only a center for education, but also for real estate, tourism, health, and
business. These achievements are results of successful leadership of Sheikh Mohammed
and his team. So, what is the leadership style of Sheikh Mohammed that makes him a
great and exemplary leader in the Middle East and the world?

3.2.1. Building Permanent Relationships

Sheikh Mohammed sees that leader must be a lion leads a group of lions to achieve
ambitions, encourages young people to become creative and forgives some mistakes,
because mistakes are sometimes the way to learn and succeed. (Jackson, Druck, &
Kariem, 2012)

Also, Sheikh Mohammed thinks that leader must have loose relationships with others and
also trust in them. Leader also should share the knowledge with people who can create
loyalty. Actually, this exactly what Islam encourages the public to deal with others in
their life.

This point can match with what Caliph Muawiyah (AD 661-680) who used to keep a
balanced relationship with people, whether there are differences or not. It is a kind of
political philosophy based on not losing a friendship by making minimal relations in
difficult conditions and improving it when there is a chance for that (Muna, 1980:63).
This means building lasting relationships are very important not only for the leader but
for all people as well.

3.2.2. Leader should have Bold Visions

The vision for the leader is indispensable, because vision is leading the leader and
push him forward. Sheikh Mohammad is a good example of a great leader because he has
a vision of UAE’s economic success. Hence, he built a vision into his country to achieve
progress.

Sheikh Mohammed sees that leader must have a vision, and fully believes in the
ability to achieve this vision and achieve the dreams of citizens. To do that, it is
extremely important to choose the team who believes in the vision, and has the positive
energy to achieve it. Besides that, leader should never stop expanding this vision as a
source of inspiration to all people around him/ her, and the main catalyst to accomplish
something new every morning. (Maktoum, 2012:56)

Sheikh Mohammed also thinks that the word “impossible” is a goal itself, and the
confidence is the key to accomplishing goals and surmount challenges. Besides, it is
really essential to produce a clear vision for the hereafter. (Jackson, Druck, & Kariem,
2012).

3.2.3. Leading Country as leading a family

Although Sheikh Mohammed is the Ruler of Dubai, but he is also known as “the CEO
of Dubai.” because he makes Dubai and its people working as a big family or a big
company. He becomes obsessed with people and surrounded by immature people. In this
way, everyone in the company has the exact same responsibilities and duties. Therefore,
enhance loyalty and everyone in the team can feel as a member of the family.
Furthermore, Sheikh Mohammed depends on what called in Arabic “Majlis” which
means an advisory council. This council was created by his grandfather Sheikh Saeed bin
Maktoum (Ruler of Dubai 1912- 1958) in 1912 to discuss and strengthen the decisions in
managing and organizing the city. The council exactly works like a board of executive in
a big company and Sheikh Mohammed is a CEO of this company (Sheikh Mohammed
and the Making of "Dubai, Inc.", 2010).
3.2.4. Using the precious time
Arab say: “Time is like a sword. If you did not cut it, it will cut you” and also say: “Don't
delay today's work until tomorrow”. This means we can only own time if we work hard
and don’t waste it. Sheikh Mohammed believes that time is the most important thing we
have. So, time can be wasted because it is really precious, time should be used to increase
the achievements and any plan should have a deadline to reach (Jackson, Druck, &
Kariem, 2012).

3.2.5. Honoring Responsibility

A leader can make a credibility of his leadership when he fully responsible to assume all
the consequences of his actions, and the outcome of decisions. When people feel that
their leader will not abandon them when they fail or face a hurdle; they will follow him/
her and trust him/ her as well. (Jackson, Druck, & Kariem, 2012)

Sheikh Mohammed sees that responsibility should be everywhere; home, work and
community. And leader should honor the responsibility of any failure happened from his/
her decisions rather than try claiming that it is not his/ her fault. Because his/ her position
does not give him/ her a privilege or power, but imposes a responsibility.

3.2.6. Dealing with Respect

Any dialogue requires the recognition of the difference with the other parties, and
respects their different opinion, attitude or judgment. Because God created us different
from each other; different colors, religion or culture. We should not be afraid of the
difference, but respect each other and deal with each other according to this respect
(Jackson, Druck, & Kariem, 2012).

3.2.7. Being Number 1

Sheikh Mohammed believes that Dubai and UAE can be number one in many fields and
can surprise the world, this can be achieved if everyone believes in himself and his power

Sheikh Mohammed quoted: “I want Dubai to be number one. Not in the region, but in the
world…, number one in everything: high education, health, housing... give my people the
highest way of living” (Sheikh Mohammed and the Making of "Dubai, Inc.", 2010).
4. Conclusion
Leadership is a critical part in the success and one of the major key elements to achieve
goals of an organization and the government as well. Sheikh Mohammed, Ruler of Dubai,
is a very good example of a great leader. His leadership style has been explained in this
paper. Dubai has been led to an amazing success in the last 10 years by his leadership
styles and qualities of having a lasting relationship and bold vision, leading as head of
family, using time effectively, holding responsibility, respecting others and being the best.

Matching these leadership style qualities of Sheikh Mohammed with the leadership styles
in the theory, I can conclude that Sheikh Mohammed is a kind of democratic leader with
some charismatic leader features.
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