A year ago this week, we sat with great anticipation on November 27 waiting to hear that Dubai would have the honour of hosting the World Expo 2020. This year, November 27 is the American Thanksgiving holiday. And looking back over 2014, there certainly is much to be thankful for, stemming from a shot of confidence anchored by the Expo win.

But our eye must stay on the future.

Waiting for a meeting to start on one of the upper floors of Emirates Towers, with Shaikh Zayed Road as a backdrop, one of the guys exploded, “I don’t get it! It doesn’t make any sense.”

He was holding the Gulf News and referencing the lead story about the launch of the Mall of the World, the Dh25 billion and 8 million square feet mega-project.

When he finished, I redirected his attention to outside and reminded him of the countless people who made similar comments at differing points of Dubai’s development — the building of the World Trade Centre Tower, DIFC, the Burj Khalifa, and even the tower we were in. Every person who made such a comment now looks like a fool.

Of course, over the years some projects that were plastered on the covers of papers never came to fruition. But, more, many more did than didn’t.

Herein is a publicly known secret about leadership. I say it is publicly known as nearly everyone knows that leaders are supposed to see into the future, but seldom do leaders really practice it thus creating the secretive bit.

As one of Dubai’s many examples, I’ve been told repeatedly that when Majid Al Futtaim, with an eye on the future, was building Souk Al Nakheel, now known as Mall of the Emirates, people really did not understand why someone would build a mall so far into the desert. One of the direct quotes that was shared with me was: “We feel sorry… He will now lose his money. What a shame!” And this didn’t come from an unknowing expat, but rather from a neighbour in Deira.

Well those were famous last words as history records a different outcome for Mall of the Emirates and for leaders who are able to see the future. I raise this point because it really is the role of a leader to see into the future and challenge the people to follow. But too often people in leadership roles are obsessed with remembering the past.

What would have happened if instead of having an eye for the future, Al Futtaim had spent all of his time remembering the past, which was very successful at the time with Deira City Centre? Today, we would not have the seventh most productive shopping mall in the world.

Focus on future

While it is fun, even satisfying, to remember the past, when I ask many of the pillars of Dubai about theirs, they immediately shift the attention back to the future. This is a statement about the leadership success of Dubai — keep the focus on the future.

Now, why are we giving attention to this reminder about leadership? Keeping an eye on the future is for all leaders, not the elite few and our focus should be on making the future a collective reality.

People in leadership roles — maybe Linos (Leaders in Name Only) — spend time questioning the direction. It’s one thing not having the vision or courage to see the future. Why does that result in questioning the direction? It’s like a passenger in the car who constantly second-guesses the way forward.

We, not just in Dubai, need to highlight this point, as it is parasitic activity. Expressing great doubt, like the comment “I just don’t get it” is a distraction shifting the attention away from the future and being lost in the present.

If you disagree with the direction the driver is driving a car, you can get out of the car. But, if you decide to stay in the car, then either be a leader who has an eye on the future or one who is focused on making the future reality.

— The writer is author of ‘10 Tips for Leading in the Middle East’ and founder of the Emerging Markets Leadership Centre. Follow him on Twitter: @tommyweir