Good luck with Qatarization then: 80 percent of Qataris want to be leaders

If Qatari nationals are to fill all of the strategic roles within the country, then nearly 80 per cent of Qataris need to develop leadership skills, a report said.

The ‘Maximising Qatari Talent’ research from Oxford Strategic Consulting (OSC) conducted with Qatar Chamber, explains how employers can utilise the motivations of Qatari youth to better develop future national leaders.

Moreover, unique aspects of Qatar’s national identity also serve as advantages in the development of young Qatari leaders, added the report launched at the ‘Qatari Leadership and Talent’ Summit yesterday (March 24) at the Four Seasons Hotel in Doha, Qatar.

In most countries, only about 10 per cent of the population needs to be leaders in order to fill senior leadership roles. Yet Qatar’s relatively small national population means that approximately 80 per cent of national citizens need to be prepared for these strategic leadership roles. This is an opportunity for Qatar to lead the world in leadership.

Qatar’s many advantages include the specific motivations of its young people. Despite wide-held employer beliefs, young Qataris are not most motivated by money or an easy life. According to the research, young Qataris ranked ‘challenge’ (48 per cent), ‘contributing to society’ (46 per cent) and ‘development’ (38 per cent) as the most important motivators in their lives.

‘Working for the country’ and ‘influence’ also ranked as top motivators for Qatari nationals. This research suggests that responsibility, the feeling of seniority, and making the family proud by contributing to your society and country are critical motivators for youth; however, these factors are often ignored or misunderstood by employers.

Professor William Scott-Jackson, chairman of Oxford Strategic Consulting, explained: “The private sector, especially, is in a great position to attract and retain great Qatari talent; however, employers must understand the motivations and attitudes of young Qataris in order to attract the best talent. Our research identifies these key motivations and aspirations.”

The research report includes recommendations for identifying and developing talent in Qatari youth – a crucial skill area for Qatar, employers and the young nationals themselves.

Unique aspects of Qatar’s national identity also serve as competitive advantages in leadership development. The Qatari Leadership Style, taken from OSC’s ground-breaking research project into the Gulf Arab Management Style, is as a distinct leadership style that can encourage high levels of engagement amongst Qatari youth.

OSC research found that this leadership style focuses on relationships and loyalty, which can positively impact employee engagement, productivity and retention of Qatari nationals.  At the same time, Qatar’s national leaders remain important role models for young Qataris.

The ‘Qatari Leadership and Talent’ Summit will explore how employers and the country itself can achieve this major challenge.

First, Qatar possesses major advantages in fast-tracking suitable Qatari talent. Secondly, Qatar has the opportunity to be the first country to fully accredit its management and leadership training. Thirdly it has the ability to develop leaders from an early age, based on Qatari identity combined with global best practice and lastly by providing the latest advances in smartphone technology to provide practical help to practising leaders.

Oxford Strategic Consulting is an Oxford and GCC based consultancy that specialises in building human capital across the GCC and in Europe