Oxford Leadership Development and Research (OxfordLDR) has unveiled new initiatives aimed at enhancing leadership skills in the UAE. Research conducted by OxfordLDR indicates that developing top-tier leadership abilities could boost profits for UAE companies by approximately 15%, resulting in an annual increase of around $7.8 billion for listed companies in the region.

The findings align with global studies showing that firms with strong leadership are three times more likely to rank among the top-performing organizations financially. Additionally, effective leadership contributes to higher employee engagement, productivity, retention, and loyalty. Despite significant investments—amounting to about $3.5 billion annually in 2023—only 12% of companies globally express confidence in their leadership pipelines, and just 40% of leaders feel prepared to tackle future challenges.

Professor William Scott-Jackson from OxfordLDR explains that the term “leadership” encompasses a wide range of responsibilities—from guiding large corporations to managing small teams. He notes that the goals and tasks vary significantly across these roles. Unfortunately, training for first-line leaders is often inadequate, while programs for mid-level and senior executives rely on generic theories that may lack relevance. This highlights the need for a tailored approach to leadership development, as effective leadership cannot simply be replicated from successful CEOs’ experiences.

To address these challenges, OxfordLDR is launching two significant initiatives. The first is a bespoke leadership development program that will analyze existing data to identify critical leadership issues and customize methodologies to meet specific organizational goals. The second initiative is an extensive research project aimed at discovering effective leadership strategies worldwide and contextualizing them for the UAE’s distinct environment.

About Oxford Leadership Development and Research (OxfordLDR): This organization is a collaboration between the Oxford Centre for Impact Research and Breakthrough Minds, which focuses on creating future-ready leaders through tailored development experiences.