
Most UAE employees say workplace leaders are most influential in their lives
Workplace leaders have a more positive influence on UAE employees than their loved ones, according to a new survey released on Tuesday.
According to 'Global Leadership Report: What Followers Want', more than half – 52 per cent – of the employed people in UAE said workplace leaders have the most positive influence on their daily lives, ranking the country third.
These influencers could be managers, colleagues or organisational leaders.
This is compared to 32 per cent of UAE employed people who said they were positively influenced by their loved ones.
Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.
In the UAE, 4 per cent mentioned political leaders and 4 per cent mentioned religious leaders.
The study – released at the World Government Summit taking place in Dubai from February 11 to 13 – found that hope is the primary need of followers in the UAE, with nearly two-thirds – 64 per cent – of all attributes linked to influential leaders pointing to hope, significantly more than trust (29 per cent), the second most important need.
Compassion and stability are the other factors that have a positive influence on them.
This new global study spanned 52 countries and covered the vast majority of the world's population and economy — revealing what people value most in the leaders who positively influence their daily lives.
Globally, workplace leaders hold tremendous potential to improve lives. Nearly one-third – 34 per cent – of employees cite someone from their work environment such as a manager, colleague or organizational leader as most influential, fewer than those who name a family member – 44 per cent.
According to Gallup findings, hope stood out globally also as the dominant need of employees, accounting for 56 per cent of all attributes tied to positive leaders, far outnumbering mentions of the next key need, trust (33 per cent). Compassion and stability combined account for about one in nine positive leadership traits mentioned.
The study found that family leadership plays an integral role in daily life, with 57 per cent of adults naming a family member as the most influential leader in their lives.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Gulf Today
6 days ago
- Gulf Today
South Korea vote: Who will run Asia's 4th largest economy?
Since US President Donald Trump began his second term, key Asian ally South Korea has not had an elected leader — meaning crucially, no one to bargain with Washington on tariffs. With the country now set to vote in a presidential election on June 3, the new leader will need to juggle finding ways to stay out of Trump's trade wars with keeping both Washington — Seoul's main security partner against the nuclear-armed North — and neighbouring Beijing happy. There are two main contenders for the top job: front-runner ex-opposition leader Lee Jae-myung and conservative Kim Moon-soo. Lee, a charismatic former child factory worker turned human rights lawyer, has been dubbed "South Korea's Bernie Sanders" for his strong support of a basic income, advocating measures like direct cash payments to spur economic growth. But he's been dogged by a string of scandals, although a court recently delayed a retrial which could have derailed his bid for office. Kim was once a labour and pro-democracy activist fighting military authoritarian regimes, but he shifted his views after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Kim is solidly in second, trailing Lee by 22 percent, according to the most recent Gallup poll. Both candidates have made the economy their top priority, but their approaches are sharply different. Lee's first pledge is to make South Korea "a global economic powerhouse" — and it seems, analysts say, he's taking his left-wing party more to the centre. Lee's Democratic Party previously "emphasised labour rights and distribution, but now it is leaning toward economic growth," said Kim Yong-jin, a professor at Sogang University. Kim's conservative People Power Party, on the other hand, tends to focus more on "corporate policies rather than the national policies," he added, with their candidate emphasising his pro-business approach. Branding himself as the "job president and economy president", Kim has repeatedly emphasised that "the key to an economic overhaul is regulatory reform", — ironically for a former labour activist. South Korea's next leader will need to carefully balance its relationships with main security ally Washington and key trading partner and neighbour Beijing. Front-runner Lee claims he's not in a rush to strike a new tariff deal with the United States, saying he will be "prioritising national interests" above quickly sorting things out with the White House. In contrast, Kim says the most important thing for export-focused South Korea is to maintain a good relationship with Trump. "I have a very friendly and trusting relationship," with the US leader, he said, vowing to "immediately" hold a summit if elected. Lee has often been accused of being too China-friendly, saying in 2024 that Taiwan was "none of our business" — a message his opponent says is "alarming". But neither candidate is really bringing fresh ideas on balancing these key foreign policy ties, said Park Seung-chan, a professor of Chinese studies at Yongin University. "Our past approach of simply siding with the stronger power is no longer viable," he said. Already hit by 25 per cent tariff on automobiles — a key export — South Korea is "highly sensitive" to tariffs, Park Sang-byung, a political commentator, told AFP. South Korean officials are currently in Washington trying to negotiate a "trade package" aimed at preventing new levies, but progress has been slowed by the lack of an elected leader. With export performance and economic growth rate "already facing significant concerns, if we do not actively respond to Trump's tariff war, South Korea could find itself in a very difficult situation," said Park. At this point, anyone is better than no one, experts say. Following ex-president Yoon Suk Yeol's disastrous declaration of martial law and the impeachment, South Korea has cycled through two acting presidents, one of whom was the finance minister, and is now on its third. "A country needs its CEO, the president, and right now South Korea is desperate," Kim Dae-jong, a professor at Sejong University, told AFP. "Typically, the president determines about 90 per cent of a country's fate," said Kim. Until there is a new leader in place, all negotiations are at a halt, with vice trade minister Park Seung-taek saying it is "theoretically impossible" to sort things out until after the election. Without a president — or even a finance minister — it is a "major crisis" for South Korea, "a situation where a lack of leadership is a serious problem," Kim added.


20-05-2025
Blue Visa: UAE offers multiple-entry permit to foreigners applying for residency
The UAE has launched a 180-day permit for expats to apply for the Blue Residency visa — a 10-year residency granted to individuals who have made 'exceptional contributions and efforts' in protecting the environment. Eligible individuals outside the UAE can now apply for a multiple-entry visa valid for 180 days from the entry date, according to the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs, and Port Security (ICP). This initiative is aimed at facilitating the completion of all necessary procedures required to obtain the Blue Residency, Emarat Al Youm reported. The Blue Residency is the first long-term residency in the UAE specifically targeting those who have made significant impacts in environmental conservation, sustainability, and clean and renewable energy whether within the country or abroad. According to the authority, the following categories are eligible to apply for this visa: The multi-entry permit to finalise the procedures for a long-term residency visa was previously extended to foreigners who wish to get a UAE Golden Visa. This service offered an entry permit for a period of 6 months, which could be extended for a similar period, to facilitate the completion of procedures for obtaining the 10-year residency. How to apply multi-entry permit Applications can be submitted through the ICP's official website and the UAEICP mobile application. The five-step application process takes around seven minutes and includes filling in personal data, attaching required documents such as: A passport valid for at least six months A personal photo Proof of eligibility Paying the fees Submit application. The service is completed within one working day once all documents are verified. The announcement follows the first phase of the Blue Residency initiative, unveiled during the World Government Summit in February, where 20 prominent individuals in sustainability were granted the residency. It forms part of the UAE's broader strategy to position itself as a global leader in climate action and innovation, following earlier long-term visa programmes such as the Golden and Green residencies.


20-05-2025
Dubai: Want to invest in crypto? Read this book now
'Just read The Bitcoin Standard.' That was the advice I got two years ago when I told someone I was having trouble grasping exactly why anyone would invest in Bitcoin. I knew I was being called to learn about it, but I had real trouble putting it all together. Thrilled to finally have some direction, I immediately ordered Palestinian-Jordanian journalist Saifedean Ammous's book. That moment marked the beginning of my journey into understanding Bitcoin – and that paperback remains one of the most fascinating I've ever read. Recently, I ran into a friend's husband at the coffee shop in my building. In the course of our conversation, he said he was crypto-curious. He'd been listening to podcasts and watching YouTube videos, but he was still pretty confused – understandably so. He admitted he was too embarrassed to ask basic questions – starting with 'why'. I was seriously impressed with him: this kind of humble expression of curiosity is all too rare these days. I told him about The Bitcoin Standard and when he said he'd definitely read it, I ran upstairs and grabbed my copy. I've recommended it many times before, but this was the first time someone actually seemed ready to dive in. I loved this book so much that in December, I made sure to get a pass to the Bitcoin MENA conference in Abu Dhabi just to see Ammous speak. He's sold more than a million books worldwide. After The Bitcoin Standard in 2018, he released The Fiat Standard in 2021. At the conference, he was talking about his latest: The Gold Standard: An Alternative Economic History of the Twentieth Century, which is out this month. It's a piece of economic fiction imagining a world where the gold standard was never dropped — and where money still meant something. Ammous's writing is essential for anyone setting out, I think, because of the way he so clearly outlines how little our money means – and how easily it can be manipulated. Whether it's clipping silver coins or the earliest forms of counterfeiting, once you see it, you can't unsee it. Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels. The Bitcoin Standard is more than just a book; it's an essential, revered text that offers a wide-angle view of Bitcoin's place in the modern financial system. Ammous's insights into the flaws of fiat currency – money – and the benefits of a digital asset like Bitcoin are both enlightening and practical. For anyone considering investing in Bitcoin – or just, like my friend, trying to wrap their head around the 'why' behind it – I can't think of a better place to begin. Here are a few of the reasons Ammous is all-in on calling Bitcoin the soundest money around: It's scarce Ammous argues that Bitcoin's fixed supply of 21 million coins makes it the first truly scarce digital asset — immune to debasement by governments or central banks. He makes a compelling case for how tempting it's been throughout history for empires to chip away at their currencies when it serves them. His critique of fiat currencies points directly to inflation, enabled by endless money printing and political interference. It's decentralised and sovereign Bitcoin operates independently of any government or central authority. That gives individuals full sovereignty over their wealth, reducing the risk of confiscation or censorship. There's no bank to go to and no middleman deciding if – or when – you can access your money. It lowers time preference Drawing on Austrian economics, Ammous argues that sound money encourages long-term thinking that values future rewards over short-term consumption. He backs this up by going back to the gold standard era, where economic stability and growth were the norm. Bitcoin holders, he has observed, tend to be savers precisely because they expect appreciation. And that helps them think twice before spending unnecessarily. It has global potential Ammous predicts that Bitcoin could serve as a new international monetary standard, much like gold did in the past. And while it's not there yet, it's edging in that direction. Individuals, family offices, companies, universities and even some nation-states are beginning to consider Bitcoin as part of their reserve strategy. His thesis seems more credible with every passing month. It's portable and efficient Gold is heavy, needs secure storage, and is tricky to exchange. Ammous highlights how Bitcoin, by contrast, is portable, divisible, and easy to transfer. Cross-border transactions can be settled in minutes, without banks or intermediaries. On the blockchain, everything is transparent and traceable. If you're confused about what's going on with this so-called 'digital gold', I can't think of a better place to start than with The Bitcoin Standard. It gives you the 'why' of Bitcoin before you even think about the 'how'. Just one thing: you're going to need to order your own copy. I already gave mine away. KT Luxe