Charge your glasses

According to a study by the Carnegie Institute of Technology (CIT) in the US, 85 per cent of an engineer's career success is the result of "human engineering", which is the ability to lead people effectively. Only 15 per cent is the result of technical knowledge.

Eisa Al Ali, development manager at Aldar Properties and president of Toastmasters Abu Dhabi, is living proof of this, and of the notion that leaders are both born and made.

Al Ali, a quiet and shy middle child in a family of seven siblings, spent his childhood studying and playing football for Al Ahli Club in Dubai. When he began his university studies at the American University of Sharjah (AUS) as an engineering student, he channelled his efforts into helping other students succeed in their studies.

He organised volunteers to help reduce queues during the registration process, provided support for students who were required to pass the TOEFL, and went on to become the president of the Student Council in 2004.

Besides working as a development manager for Aldar, Al Ali is an active volunteer leader in the national volunteer programme and has assumed leadership of the Toastmasters chapter in Abu Dhabi.

He manages all these activities and responsibilities, while working as a professional actor in award-winning films, and writing and producing his own scripts.
To Al Ali, acting and writing is an outlet for self-expression and the most effective means to relay your message. He attributes his success to opportunities encountered and skills developed during his years as an athlete, student and project manager. He enthusiastically explains the need for people to develop the skill of self-expression as he believes it's an essential element to success.

I

I think my experience at university really transformed me. I joined in 1999 as an intensive English student. I then moved on to study civil engineering between the years 2000 and 2005.
I used to be shy. I didn't have the confidence to speak. [But] at AUS,
I had to speak on behalf of other students. I was pushed to learn.

I am a development manager for Aldar Properties. I am working on the Al Khubeira project. (It is named after one of the palaces of the late Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan.) It is a Dh1.7-billion residential development located in the Al Raha Beach Development Project. This year we sold 70 per cent of the project during Cityscape, the international property investment and development event.

I believe everyone needs to master the skill of self-expression. Many people need help expressing their ideas. What could be worse for society than having people with great ideas who cannot communicate them to others?

People become better speakers by developing their listening skills. Influential leaders try to perfect their listening skills all the time. Babies intuitively learn to speak by listening to their parents. But somehow, as we grow older, our listening skills weaken.

I think maintaining a balance between home, life, social and community activities is the greatest success a person can have. Anyone who
claims that he is successful, but has
an unhappy home life, isn't successful.
I admire my father for he weathered life's problems without shaking his faith or principles.
He has suffered much in life. When he was young, he left the UAE to work in Kuwait. He worked there for 10 years before returning in 1962. He never dwelt on the negative. I am very grateful to him for his guidance.

ME

Me and Al Ahli Club
I joined the football club when I was nine. I spent my early years going to school in Sharjah in the morning and travelling to Dubai to practise football in the afternoons. I played till I was 17.

I was one of the players on the team that won the first GCC youth competition called Nashigheen.

I was the winger between midfield and defence. I was a quiet kid who didn't have many friends. Soccer
made up for that.
Sports taught me a lot about teamwork. I still believe that the efforts of a good team can lead to great accomplishments.

In soccer, I noticed that people see and recognise the one who scores. They don't see the kid that did a lot of work to pass the ball to the one who scores. Some players are motivated by their personal interests more than the team's interests. I learnt that to win, a player has to put the team's interests over personal ones. It is important, however, that people recognise the contribution of the team and not just the obvious "stars".

Me and travelling

I was 13 when I travelled outside the UAE. I went with the football club to Europe for four years. I wasn't used to travelling and that experience forced me to take responsibility for myself. They gave us an allowance, and I learned to budget.

We spent summers training in Ukraine, Austria, France and Morocco. I loved each place for its physical beauty and culture.

When I graduated from high school, I wanted to go to university in Canada or America but my father refused. He was worried that I would be negatively influenced. I was disappointed. I felt like I was being held back. Unable to pursue my studies abroad, I accepted a scholarship at AUS.

Me and university
I channelled unwittingly into the field of civil engineering at
a time when construction wasn't booming.

No one knew then that it would become such a sought-after professional degree.
I loved the university environment. It was multicultural with over 75 nationalities. I spent most of my days studying, playing soccer, going on trips, attending ceremonies, activities, and participating in clubs.
My friends and I noticed that the PR department of the university was short of staff. There were many queues for ID cards, visa documentation and other administrative functions. We approached the office and asked if we could help.

So four of us helped
in between classes and during breaks. Later, we were asked to do this as
a part-time job, paid by the hour.

Me and real estate development

I will never forget the last week of July 2005. I married, graduated and was offered a job as a field engineer at Schlumberger, an international oilfield services corporation. I started working in Saudi Arabia in September.
I worked there for three weeks.

I was then sent to Abu Dhabi to work in offshore and onshore rigs. It was
a real transition. Imagine being alone on a rig in the sea. It did not suit my personality; I lasted seven months.
Then I was offered a job at Dubai Properties as an assistant project manager for construction projects.
I worked there for more than a year, managing delivery of projects.
I enjoyed this position. I used to commute to work from Abu Dhabi to Dubai as I lived in Abu Dhabi and our office was in Business Bay.
After a year and a half, I decided to look for a job in Abu Dhabi. I landed
a position as a development manager for Aldar Properties.
The Al Khubeira project that I am handling will be the ultimate waterfront city. It includes residential, offices, retail, commercial properties,
a water canal, lightweight train, smart home systems… all the latest technologies in green buildings.

Me and Toastmasters

After university, I wanted an activity to foster self-expression. I had to find something to do outside of work. I wanted that, and personal development. Abu Dhabi was a new city and I had few friends. One day, Nuh Al Hammadi, one of my best friends, invited me to a Toastmasters meeting. And I joined Toastmasters
in October 2006.

Toastmasters started in 1928. At
a dinner party, the guests discussed how they wanted to speak with confidence when raising a toast. So they started a club where people could develop public speaking skills. Later they developed several chapters, policies, rules and regulations until they became international.
It was established in Abu Dhabi in 1995, and it only costs Dh180 to join, but the skills developed are priceless.

MYSELF

If a play was written about your life, who would you want to play your character?
I would choose Tom Hanks. I know he won't mess up my life story! I like his movies. He draws audiences because he acts naturally and with passion.
I loved the theme of the film Cast Away. It is a testament to the human will. He managed to survive a plane crash, sinking, illness, lack of food, loneliness, monumental difficulties and trials on the island. Sending these kinds of messages through a film is more effective than simple speech.

If there was one thing that you could do to influence your environment what would it be?
I would like to challenge the conventional mind-set. I can do this through acting and public speaking.
I would also like to see more people behaving in accordance with their principles. For political people, highest joy is attaining powerful positions. For business people, it's wealth. Emotional people want love.
I think people should have principles first and work towards what they
want within the realm and guidance
of their principles.
Sara Sayed is a freelance writer based in Abu Dhabi

caption

Sport taught Eisa Al Ali a lot about teamwork. He says, "I still believe that the efforts of a good team can lead to great accomplishments."

Al Ali studied civil engineering at
a time when construction wasn't booming. He says,
"No one knew then that it would become such a sought-after professional degree."