Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid to Sheikh Hamdan: Leadership is about winning people’s hearts
Sheikh Mohammed shares lessons from six decades of leadership in message to his son
Dubai: His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has written a deeply personal message to his son, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence and Chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai, expressing pride in his leadership and setting out lessons drawn from nearly six decades in government, including the importance of justice, compassion, honesty and remaining close to the people.
The message, published as part of Sheikh Mohammed’s newly launched book, “The Messages”, comes as Sheikh Hamdan marks 20 years since his appointment as Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai.
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“To my Crown Prince, the extension of my life and the pillar of my journey, Hamdan,” Sheikh Mohammed begins, saying he writes with immense pride in his son’s journey, leadership and achievements.
He praises Sheikh Hamdan’s close relationship with the public, his presence in their gatherings, understanding of their needs and compassion for young and old alike.
Sheikh Mohammed also describes his son as an inspiration to millions of young people through his work, energy, poetry, humility and character, while praising him as a devoted father, responsible son and supportive brother.
But the message also looks firmly to the future, with Sheikh Mohammed telling his son that greater success brings greater responsibility.
Those responsibilities, he says, extend to the UAE, its youth and soldiers, the protection of the nation’s borders, and to Dubai, its people, economy, competitiveness and new global standing.
“Millions around the world look to you, following your work, drawing inspiration from you and placing their faith in you, your wisdom and depth of vision to continue the journey of building and development,” Sheikh Mohammed writes. “And you are worthy of all these responsibilities, Hamdan.”
Lessons from six decades of leadership
At the heart of the message are lessons Sheikh Mohammed says life has taught him through nearly 60 years in leadership, government and dealing with people.
With justice occupying a central place in his advice, Sheikh Mohammed told his son, “People need a ruler who listens before he judges, shows mercy before he punishes, gives before he is asked, and reaches out to people before they have to reach him.”
Sheikh Mohammed tells Sheikh Hamdan that firmness in upholding justice brings authority, compassion, stability and prosperity, while injustice destroys achievements and causes civilisations to decline. “Beware of injustice, Hamdan, for it never sleeps,” he writes.
The UAE, he says, was built on justice among people, safeguarding rights and holding the powerful to account before the weak, and those close to authority before strangers.
“A country is never lost when justice is its balance, compassion its hallmark and the rule of law a virtue from which it never deviates.”
‘Choose the most truthful’
Sheikh Mohammed also warns against surrounding a leader with people who merely tell him what he wants to hear.
He advises Sheikh Hamdan to choose the most truthful people around him, saying integrity begins with an honest word, keeping promises and courage.
“The truthful person, my son, is an adviser. Advice may hurt once, but it is better than illusion a thousand times.”
Sheikh Mohammed recalls witnessing leaders of once-powerful countries surround themselves with “deceivers and hypocrites” who disguised mistakes, sold illusions and concealed reality until their leaders became detached from their people.
“Absolute trust in those around you, my son, leads to absolute corruption,” he writes, urging accountability and warning that the prestige of the state is undermined when powerful people believe they stand above the law.
‘Look at them with your heart’
Sheikh Mohammed concludes with a lesson rooted in the leadership example of the UAE’s founding generations: the closer a ruler is to the people, the closer a country is to stability and prosperity.
He invokes the examples of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and the late Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, saying their compassion and closeness to people secured them an enduring place in people’s hearts.
“If people look at you with their eyes, then look at them with your heart, Hamdan,” he writes. “Show mercy to the vulnerable, support their children and look after their affairs.”
“Greatness does not belong to the one whom people serve, but to the one who serves the people. And greatness is not for the one who holds power over people, but for the one who holds their hearts.”
Sheikh Mohammed closes his message as a father: “I see in you nothing but greatness and generosity, Hamdan, a love for people, a pursuit of goodness and a readiness to embrace noble deeds.”
Concluding his message, Sheikh Mohammed wrote: “May God grant you success, protect you and guide your steps on the path of glory.”
