THE DIRECTOR GENERAL OF DUBAI CULTURE AND ARTS AUTHORITY DESCRIBES A GREAT LEADER AS SOMEONE WHO IS BOTH A LIFELONG LEARNER AND A FLEXIBLE NAVIGATOR OF CHANGE.
Before taking her current position, Her Excellency Hala Badri gained extensive knowledge and experience in various fields, including oil and gas, real estate, media, and telecommunications. Building such a distinguished career was twice as challenging since Her Excellency is also a devoted mother of four. Her ability to excel in her career while raising a family (a journey familiar to many women around the world), inspired us to study her path and learn from it.
GO UP GRADUALLY. When Hala Badri started her career as a brand executive at Emirates National Oil Company, she became one half of the two-person team charged with getting the newly-organized department up and going. That allowed her to learn how to build functions from scratch and to lead a team that grew to 15 people over the years. That experience served Her Excellency well throughout her career.
FEAR OF CHANGE IS NOT THE REASON TO MISS OPPORTUNITIES. Almost 8 years later, Hala Badri was offered the role of Director for Corporate Communications at the telecommunications company du, a position she embraced out of her passion for new challenges. She doesn′t hide the fact that her professional confidence took some heavy blows in the new environment. Not only were all other executives older, they were also all men. Although she didn′t experience prejudice, she initially found it hard to speak up at boardroom meetings because she struggled with new terminology and understanding the way du managed its financial affairs. Her Excellency admits that it took her two years to adapt fully. But she firmly believed in her vision of a brand strategy, which indeed proved to be successful.
TIME-MANAGEMENT IS PARAMOUNT
EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE WITH THE RIGHT MINDSET. Her Excellency believes that achieving a work-life balance depends on your ability to draw the line before your work starts to impact your personal well-being negatively. In her opinion, self-inflicted pressure to do better doesn′t get the work done; it only causes unnecessary stress. She points out that it′s natural for human beings to make mistakes and mess things up in their personal and professional lives.
TIME-MANAGEMENT IS PARAMOUNT. Over the years, Her Excellency learned to prioritize tasks by urgency and importance, effectively delegate, and maintain open communication with everyone involved. She is a big fan of structured schedules and integrated plans. Disciplined and organized, Her Excellency Hala Badri divides her time into three segments. The first one is her main job. Her professional commitments come next. She holds positions on several boards, including Vice Chairperson of the Dubai Women Establishment′s Board of Directors and Vice Chairman of HIPA′s Board of Trustees, among many others. Last but not least is her personal time. She spends most of it with her children and friends, and the rest goes to hobbies such as padel, cooking and interior design. Her Excellency exercises three times a week, goes for walks every evening, and calls it a day at 10:00 p.m.
SHARING IS CARING. Her Excellency Hala Badri is very dedicated to her role as a mentor. She believes that women′s natural inclination to nurture is a strength that can guide the next generation. She teaches UAE youth to always see the big picture, learn continuously, and try new things. Discovering young talent and helping them grow is her greatest inspiration and reward.
