If the Jamaican relay team were like some workplaces, the person handing over the baton would be so obsessed with not being blamed for a poor handover that the team would suffer; and e-mail would be the measure of that decay, as Tommy Weir explains below. Carl Court / AFP
If the Jamaican relay team were like some workplaces, the person handing over the baton would be so obsessed with not being blamed for a poor handover that the team would suffer; and e-mail would be tShow more

The prisoners of email



I walked out of a top management team meeting last week wondering, "If each of you are on the same team, then shouldn't you be focused on helping each other succeed?"

Of course, the implied, and somewhat rhetorical, answer is yes. But if this is so obvious, why do leaders often practise to the contrary?

My wonder was ignited while listening to the chief executive of a regional mega-company ask his leaders, "Why do you send me an FYI message after an email interchange with one of your peers and without copying them?"

He went on to speculate, in front of them, "Is it that you do this to show me that you have done your part and now passed the responsibility on?"

He went on to talk about the taboo subject of sending BCC messages to oneself in order archive them and have protection at a later date if ever called on to use the defence, "I did my part."

He revealed how their actions showed they were more interested in creating cover for themselves than creating shared success.

This would not be so alarming if it was happening in a high school project team. But when leaders of billion-dirham businesses are doing the same thing, it becomes very worrying.

If a leader has the awareness to archive a message for future protection, they should also be aware enough to copy the message to their task or to-do list and set a reminder to follow up with their colleague to make sure everything is going well.

The difference between these approaches is having a mindset of self-protection versus shared success.

When a team runs a relay race and the baton is passed from one runner to the next, both runners own the responsibility of the smooth pass - the one passing it and the one receiving.

This example highlights helping each other in order to achieve shared success.

When a leader joins a top management team, the focus has to shift to collective and shared success.

This shift requires becoming proactive in helping others succeed.

Just as players perform on the pitch, leaders in the boardroom need to be thinking, "How are we going to win and how can I help my peers perform at their best and shine in the spotlight for others to see?"

Success is not a zero-sum game, it is an unlimited-sum game.

In Prisoner's Dilemma, a game theory exercise, the participants try to predict what the other prisoner will do and then they use this prediction to decide how to act and behave.

The two prisoners, who are held as joint suspects in a burglary, are each offered the same deal but separately. In this exercise, shared success is possible but most participants try to win at the expense of the other player and in return both end up losing.

In corporate life, we need to practise this insight and focus on shared success because anything less causes all to lose.

Tommy Weir is an authority on fast-growth and emerging-market leadership, an adviser and the author of The CEO Shift. He is the founder of the Emerging Markets Leadership Center

The five pillars of Islam
The Bio

Favourite Emirati dish: I have so many because it has a lot of herbs and vegetables. Harees  (oats with chicken) is one of them

Favourite place to go to: Dubai Mall because it has lots of sports shops.

Her motivation: My performance because I know that whatever I do, if I put the effort in, I’ll get results

During her free time: I like to drink coffee - a latte no sugar and no flavours. I do not like cold drinks

Pet peeve: That with every meal they give you a fries and Pepsi. That is so unhealthy

Advice to anyone who wants to be an ironman: Go for the goal. If you are consistent, you will get there. With the first one, it might not be what they want but they should start and just do it

Fines for littering

In Dubai:

Dh200 for littering or spitting in the Dubai Metro

Dh500 for throwing cigarette butts or chewing gum on the floor, or littering from a vehicle. 
Dh1,000 for littering on a beach, spitting in public places, throwing a cigarette butt from a vehicle

In Sharjah and other emirates
Dh500 for littering - including cigarette butts and chewing gum - in public places and beaches in Sharjah
Dh2,000 for littering in Sharjah deserts
Dh500 for littering from a vehicle in Ras Al Khaimah
Dh1,000 for littering from a car in Abu Dhabi
Dh1,000 to Dh100,000 for dumping waste in residential or public areas in Al Ain
Dh10,000 for littering at Ajman's beaches 

MATCH INFO

Euro 2020 qualifier

Norway v Spain, Saturday, 10.45pm, UAE

Feeding the thousands for iftar

Six industrial scale vats of 500litres each are used to cook the kanji or broth 

Each vat contains kanji or porridge to feed 1,000 people

The rice porridge is poured into a 500ml plastic box

350 plastic tubs are placed in one container trolley

Each aluminium container trolley weighing 300kg is unloaded by a small crane fitted on a truck

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Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
 
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
The%20Roundup
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Lee%20Sang-yong%3Cbr%3EStars%3A%20Ma%20Dong-seok%2C%20Sukku%20Son%2C%20Choi%20Gwi-hwa%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

Manchester City 4
Otamendi (52) Sterling (59) Stones (67) Brahim Diaz (81)

Real Madrid 1
Oscar (90)

Thor: Ragnarok

Dir: Taika Waititi

Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Jeff Goldblum, Mark Ruffalo, Tessa Thompson

Four stars

The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Power: 510hp at 9,000rpm
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Price: From Dh801,800
German intelligence warnings
  • 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
  • 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
  • 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250 

Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution

A cheaper choice

Vanuatu: $130,000

Why on earth pick Vanuatu? Easy. The South Pacific country has no income tax, wealth tax, capital gains or inheritance tax. And in 2015, when it was hit by Cyclone Pam, it signed an agreement with the EU that gave it some serious passport power.

Cost: A minimum investment of $130,000 for a family of up to four, plus $25,000 in fees.

Criteria: Applicants must have a minimum net worth of $250,000. The process take six to eight weeks, after which the investor must travel to Vanuatu or Hong Kong to take the oath of allegiance. Citizenship and passport are normally provided on the same day.

Benefits:  No tax, no restrictions on dual citizenship, no requirement to visit or reside to retain a passport. Visa-free access to 129 countries.

Company%20Profile
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How to avoid crypto fraud
  • Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
  • Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
  • Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
  • Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
  • Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
  • Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
  • Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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