grEEN IS THE WAY
Issa Al-Mohannadi Founding chairman, QGBC
Advice to the younger generation
“Be positive, take initiatives and avoid being passive. There is always hope, so don’t give up.”
T
hree years ago, ‘Green Buildings’ was a phrase not used often in the construction sector. Now many buildings in the country are vying to ‘Go Green’. Much of this is due to awareness, awareness that is brought by organisations like Qatar Green Building Council (QGBC). QGBC is an independent non-profit organisation committed to developing a sustainable property industry for Qatar. Issa Al Mohannadi, the CEO of Dohaland is the brains behind this organisation, the leader who guides the construction industry to think sustainably.
How does your leadership skills help motivate those around you? To be able to lead others you will need to have different skills and use diverse techniques. Inspiring a team is just one of many techniques a leader uses to get something out of his team. I make my team understand why they need to go where you want (map), empower them (vehicle), and then inspire and motivate them (fuel). This will help make people believe and do something that is not part of their daily habit. I’d like to look at this as an art rather than a science.
Did you have a mentor who helped you in your path? We all need mentoring in one way or another to inspire us and keep us going. During my career, I have had some
“I believe QgBC is one of the positive initiatives for Qatar. When we started the idea of establishing a local council for green buildings in Qatar, the subject was hardly talked about. Since then, there have been many other initiatives, and I am happy to see positive competition and conferences taking place with regard to green buildings” ‘informal’ mentors who inspired me to face challenges.
The path of a leader is often lonely, how do you handle the pressures associated with being at the helm of an organisation. I agree that there are moments when leaders need to shelter their team from external pressures to keep them focusing on their tasks and keep them away from external politics. In such situations, I am lonely and the team will probably not be aware of such pressures.
What is your definition of a leader? A leader is an agent of change, who uses his skills based on art to get into people’s inner minds and hearts to win them to his side and lead them to achieve the goals.
A decision or project that you think of with pride? Each project or initiative I do becomes like one of my children. I am still proud to reflect on my earlier projects in the oil and gas industry and to hear that they are still working successfully. The Musheireb Heart of Doha and Dohaland are close to my heart as I’m watching them grow.
The mistakes from which valuable lessons were learnt? There are many. I learned that always make sure you have the right tools before embarking on a new challenges! I learned not to say ‘yes’ or accept new challenge before knowing all the whereabouts.
November 10
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