Towering achievement proves a point

The Life: Nicolai Tillisch, author of Effective Business in the Gulf, writes about how expat business leaders can turn the challenges in the local workplace into an advantage, and adapt to the local business practices.

Nicolai Tillisch writes about how to adapt to local business practices in Effective Business in the Gulf. Antonie Robertson / The National

While explaining the challenges of business leaders in the Arabian Gulf, the consultant Nicolai Tillisch draws on the mythical story of the Tower of Babel.

The multitude of languages spoken by the workers building the Biblical structure led to so much confusion that it was never finished.

Zoom through the centuries to modern Dubai, where the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, draws millions of tourists annually. In Effective Business in the Gulf, Tillisch presents it as an example in which diversity poses no hindrance to ambition. Owned by Emaar, the construction of the Burj Khalifa employed workers from South Asia and South East Asia, architects from the United States and a construction company from South Korea.

"The Gulf is home to what is probably the most multicultural workforce anywhere in the world," writes Mr Tillisch. The author goes on to elaborate on the local business environment and its cultural issues. He talks about how to adapt to local business practices, assesses circumstances such as that of a business owner or a leader who works here with distant global headquarters and tries to build what he calls "a personal leadership mosaic".

The tendency of European and Asian expats to surround themselves with people from their own cultures is perceived as an issue for business leaders, the author writes.

Although the book gives no new perspective on the assessment of the circumstances of a family business owner in the Gulf, the author examines the often-overlooked area of managing a global corporation from the region. Adaptation of a global brand for the local market requires regular conversations with the local workforce.

Such companies can make the most of price differences across the Gulf. Oman and Saudi Arabia are more competitive in terms of salary, for instance, than smaller Gulf countries.

"Markets are becoming more competitive," says Tillisch. "So, if you want to do well innovate, be efficient and give customers a good experience."