Best business practices to come under spotlight

The survey, being carried out online as well as through the magazines Gulf Business and Oman Economic Review and online at www.ameinfo.com, will reach more than a million readers. The results of the survey, which is online until the end of June, will be announced in September.

Tina Schneidermann, CEO of Leading Minds, the organisers of the International Leadership Summit Leaders in Dubai 2005, acknowledged that some of the questions raised by the survey had not been asked in a public forum in Arabia.

'Issues surrounding the perceived demise of cultural diversity through globalisation as well as the increasing newsworthiness of corporate social responsibility are all worthy of debate.'

Respondents will also be asked to answer where the best business leaders can be found - public or private sector - as well as the greatest attributes found in a good leader.

'Last year's survey told us that great leaders were both born and made, so we want to know what characteristics people believe to be key, whether vision, integrity and inspiration, or planning, focus and flexibility,' she explained.

Participants are invited to grade their company in terms of transparency, employee empowerment, ethics, best practice processes and non-discrimination. In addition, they are asked to comment on the responsibilities of leaders, the role of government in Corporate Arabian and statements such as 'you cannot be a good corporate citizen and still maximise profits'.

Schneidermann said: 'We are hoping that respondents will use the opportunity to be open and honest; and the results will form the basis of debate at Leaders in Dubai on November 28 - 29.'

Nine business and political headline names, including Mikhail Gorbachev, former leader of the Soviet Union, and former American President Bill Clinton (via video cast) will take part in the debate on leadership best practices.

Speaking at the event are:


• Mikhail Gorbachev, the last leader of the former Soviet Union and winner of the 1990 Nobel Peace Prize


• Bill Clinton (via videocast), former President of the USA from 1993 - 2001


• Madeleine Albright, the first female Secretary of State in the USA and a director of the New York Stock Exchange


• Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad, former Prime Minister of Malaysia from 1981 - 2003


• Daniel Pink, the author of Free Agent Nation, the Washington Post bestseller, who will suggest six aptitudes crucial to the survival of white-collar workers


• Kenichi Ohmae, the former director of McKinsey Japan, who has earned global acclaim as 'Mr Strategy'


• Arie de Geus, who was at the helm of Royal Dutch Shell for 40 years and has been described as 'the global statesman' of business change


• Spencer Johnson, the author of the bestsellers Who Moved My Cheese and The One-Minute Manager


• Scott Bedbury, one of the world's leading brand architects, responsible for Nike's Just Do It campaign and the emergence of the Starbucks brand

Leaders in Dubai is expected to attract more than 2,500 business leaders from across Arabia and will be held at Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai, from November 28 to 29, 2005.