Leaders in Middle East need to be expat experts, concur panelists at Dubai Knowledge Village Breakfast Club

Weir said, "On any given day, a leader in the Middle East works across a dozen or more nationalities. This creates a unique environment for collaboration, making one wonder if there was a secret for leading multiple nationalities in a single location. Successful leaders in the GCC are multi-lingual and capable of motivating their workforce to perform in this new economy. They create a cohesive team from a diverse, youthful workforce that has a large number of first generation corporate citizens. Leading in the GCC requires every leader to be an expat expert."

Weir's comments came during a panel discussion titled 'What differentiates the best leaders in the Middle East?' Organised by Dubai Knowledge Village (DKV), a member of TECOM Investments' Education Cluster and the region's premier destination for human resources management, the event was held as part of the DKV Breakfast Club, a regular networking event for decision makers.

Eithne Treanor, CNBC, Special Correspondent, moderated the discussion that included guest speakers such as Dr. Jasim Ahmed Mohamed Al Ali, Human Resources Director, Department of Economic Development, Wayne Davies, HR Director, Middle East, North Africa and Turkey, General Electric, and Gerard Fitzsimmons, Director of Leadership and Talent, Hay Group Middle East.

Highlighting the impact of demographics on leadership, Gerard Fitzsimmons said: "The GCC in particular has seen a change in demographics that has impacted leadership. Fast paced growth over the last decade has accelerated young leaders up the corporate ladder while relatively young workers from the GCC countries are increasingly entering the workforce, as compared to the more mature markets such as the UK."

Fitzsimmons added, "There is certainly no shortage of leadership talent and ambition in the region and when it comes to the best bosses - those that are creating a positive and energising climate for their employees - we find they share common behaviours. The best leaders have a strategic outlook, they give their employees autonomy and responsibility and recognise and reward good performance. Through studying the gaps between the environment created by previous leaders and the type of environment employees want to work in, newer leaders can find means to close the gaps and improve employees' productivity that ultimately affects the bottom line."

Wayne Davies said, "Differentiation of leaders in the Middle East is driven by a number of factors - the very best lead in a natural and intuitive way. They think with an external mind-set, always aware of every stakeholder including customers, partners, governments, employees and communities. The best leaders are clear thinkers - they build a compelling vision and invest in creating diverse teams with strengths that compliment and balance their own. They are capable of defining the market and the opportunities and challenges it holds, while providing confidence, motivation and direction on how to work together to achieve success. The best leaders are courageous and willing to take calculated risks in business and with people - they challenge, they coach, they shape and they celebrate."

The biannual DKV Breakfast Club events focus on current business-related issues in the context of global best practices to help companies run more efficient operations. The participation of an increasing number of decision makers, government officials and HR professionals serves as a testimony to the success of the DKV Breakfast Club initiative.

Established in 2003, Dubai Knowledge Village is home to over 450 professional centres specialized in HR development, professional testing, as well as management training and consultancy services.