Panelists at a UAE forum discuss how calm, clarity, and empathy define leadership under pressure.
When uncertainty strikes, leadership stops being a title and begins to reveal its true character.
At the Tristar presents Limitless: The UAE Power Women’s Forum in association with Gulf News, held at Taj Exotica Resort & Spa, The Palm, five women leaders shared what it takes to guide organisations through volatility. The panel, titled Confronting the Unexpected, brought together voices from education, consulting, real estate, marketing, and corporate leadership, each offering a grounded perspective on how decisions are made when the stakes are high.
For Aditi Jhunjhunwala, Head of Operations at Banke International Properties, it starts at the top.
“Leaders have to remain calm and composed,” she said, stressing that tone travels quickly across organisations. Clear communication, she believes, is equally critical, because “once there is clarity, people can take better and more informed decisions.”
Reflecting on the Covid period, she explained how transparency and prioritising employee safety helped her organisation navigate uncertainty, even at the cost of short-term business disruption.
That emphasis on people was echoed by Amal Al Ghammai, Executive Director of Employee Services at American University of Sharjah, who described leadership as a balance between empathy and structure.
“Effective leadership requires clarity, calmness and consistency,” she said, adding that transparency remains a core principle even when answers are not fully formed.
In complex environments like higher education, where students, faculty, and staff require different messaging, she noted that communication must be tailored, while governance and fairness provide a stable foundation.
“Leadership is really about how thoughtfully you navigate the direction for others to follow,” she said.
From a consultancy perspective, Alia Noor, Associate Partner for Taxation and Compliance at Ahmad Alagbari Chartered Accountants, offered a sharper, almost philosophical view.
“In times of uncertainty, leaders are not prepared, they are revealed,” she said, arguing that volatility does not stop business but reshapes it. Strategy may shift, but direction should not.
She pointed to the UAE’s stability as a key factor in maintaining business continuity, even as global conditions fluctuate.
“In times of turbulence, the greatest danger is not the turbulence itself, but acting with the logic you used yesterday,” she added.
For Yasmin Kayali, Chief Marketing Officer and Societal Impact Leader at Deloitte Middle East, the conversation moved beyond process to mindset.
Challenges, she believes, are a matter of choice.
“They should not diminish us. Rather, they should help us rise,” she said, linking individual resilience to collective progress.
In a supportive environment, she added, leadership creates a multiplier effect.
“As you rise, your team rises, your company rises, your community rises, and therefore the country rises.”
That sense of confidence was perhaps most strongly expressed by Nawal Hussain Al Balooshi, Marketing Specialist at Tristar, who grounded her perspective in the UAE’s leadership model.
She pointed to long-term government investment and preparedness as the reason many residents feel secure even during uncertain times.
“If you ask me whether there is any challenge, I would tell you no, because we are ready,” she said, underscoring a belief shaped by both policy and lived experience.
As the discussion shifted from principles to practice, the panel showed how strategy evolves in real time.
Aditi Jhunjhunwala explained how changing investor sentiment in real estate has pushed her organisation to pivot away from off-plan sales towards secondary and commercial segments.
“We have slightly tweaked our strategy,” she said, noting that hiring decisions have also been recalibrated to prioritise experience and immediate impact.
Amal Al Ghammai brought the conversation back to fundamentals in human resources, where communication remains a constant.
“Explaining the why or the rationale really helps a lot,” she said, highlighting the role of clarity in maintaining trust during change.
Alia Noor built on this by emphasising trust as the foundation of high-performing teams.
“Preparedness builds confidence, but trust builds strong teams,” she said.
Yasmin Kayali framed the shift in broader organisational terms, pointing to agility and purpose as anchors in uncertain times.
“You are going towards a destination, but you might have to change your route,” she said, adding that protecting people and retaining expertise ensures organisations are ready to move when conditions improve.
The conversation also touched on sector-specific pressures.
In higher education, Amal Al Ghammai described a rapid shift to hybrid and online systems, supported by continuous communication and flexible policies, including adjusted grading systems.
In compliance, Alia Noor stressed that regulatory discipline cannot be treated as an afterthought.
“Compliance is not a separate task. It has to be embedded in day-to-day operations,” she said.
In marketing, Yasmin Kayali highlighted the importance of restraint and relevance.
During periods of crisis, she noted, credibility matters more than visibility. Campaigns may be paused or redirected, with greater focus placed on supporting stakeholders rather than pushing commercial messaging.
“Sometimes it is more important to be there for your stakeholders and your clients,” she said.
