Michael Guzder, Special to Gulf News

Michael Guzder is Senior Vice-President of Education at GEMS and a former Principal.

Articles from the author

The world may end not with a bang, but with a quarrel

Our inability to disagree respectfully may be a greater threat than we realise

There is nothing wrong with standing firmly for what you believe, but strength and aggression are not the same thing.

What would your organisation miss if you weren’t there?

Your real value at work is not your title, but the difference your presence makes

A good leader doesn’t only look at what a person is doing today; they also notice what that person might be capable of tomorrow.

‘We must catch up.’ Why don’t we?

Old friendships rarely demand our time, which is why we need to make time for them

Old friendships don’t disappear when we stop seeing each other. They wait patiently in the background, ready to pick up exactly where we left off.

Is university degree still the best route to a career?

Young people need opportunities to build, create, solve problems and develop usable skills

Forty or fifty years ago, a university degree seemed to offer a fairly clear route into employment. Today, that pathway is far less certain.

When do we actually become senior citizens?

The years keep adding up, but somehow we never feel quite as old as the number suggests

Age is not quite the same thing as ageing. The years accumulate, but the person looking out from behind the eyes still feels remarkably familiar.

Why the end of summer is hard for grown-ups too

Children aren’t alone in dreading the alarm clock as the return to school draws closer

The end of the summer break is not something only children have to adjust to. Parents and teachers are making the transition too.

The world has enough experts. It needs more thinkers

We have more knowledge and advice than ever, but good judgment still requires patience

In a world full of experts, the rarest skill is not more knowledge — but clearer thinking.

The conversations leaders cannot afford to avoid

Honest feedback, delivered with clarity and care, builds trust instead of damaging it

Feedback is never only about words. It is tone, body language , facial expression, timing, restraint, and presence.

Why do we stop asking questions as we grow up?

Curiosity defines childhood — but adulthood slowly replaces questions with certainty

Children are not embarrassed by what they do not know and uncertainty does not trouble them.

When holidays meant leaving everything behind

There was a time when switching off wasn't a choice - it was simply life

On train journeys during the holidays there were no headphones, no screens, no private world to slip into. Just the compartment, the delays, and everyone in it together.

The three words we need to say more often

Why ‘I don’t know’ may be the most honest starting point for learning

Sometimes, real learning begins with the courage to simply say: “I don’t know.”

Have we stopped noticing? The people we rarely thank

In a fast-moving world, gratitude begins with paying attention to those around us

A good leader notices people who greet every morning without recognition - the rickshaw puller, the cook or the watchman.

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