“United in optimism”: Female Leadership in Post Pandemic Era COVID-19 has not only reshaped the world but has reciprocated our workplace habitat’s DNA in multiple ways, compared to nothing more than a neck of the wood’s labyrinth. The same concept as evolution, new leaders are needed who will embrace this change to orchestrate their leadership effectively in this new reign of the post pandemic era. This onset pandemic may have indeed taught humanity a lesson. It has instructed us that leadership will matter more than ever and is the beating heart of organizations, most of who will face a cloudy future based on a mere prefabrication of a lethargic system to awaken the damaged economy. Leadership will change for ever after this lengthy pandemic. Crisis is the most effective way to remedy and recalibrate leadership in all aspects. In a crisis, the leaders who have the biggest impact are rarely the “official” leaders at the top. Thus, this health crisis – one sub microscopic virus renders all standards of hierarchy meaningless – has featured blue collar vs. white collar Nurses who are on the cover of every social platform as “Person of the year”, the angels of mercy and leaders of the moment. Their empathy to people’s feelings and troubles reveals true authenticity. However, this could be compared to any organization, where titles and designations are to be inconsequential, based on a collapse of a déjà vu standardised job, the former model based on command and control, hierarchy, and silos. Standardization endorses efficiency, sets clear goals in a normal and predictable environment, but efficiency is not resilient. Resilience requires adaptability, and adaptability requires the freedom for people to be at their fullest individual selves. Not everything is as it seems to be; a certain criterion such as efficiency may not be witnessed as volatile as adjusting to certain norms, environments, and organizational settings and would direct individuals to compass their own views, and context of mindset to simply be themselves! As we emerge from this pandemic marathon, building trust, constant and empathetic communication, listening skills, being open-minded to diverse perspectives, creating a sense of belonging, care, appreciation, compassion are currently on the front page of the agenda of all leaders. The organizational environment would need to be re-created to somewhat of an inclusion of their team members at all levels. This much needed transformation would route the organizational compass to point due north, to our female leaders and workforce. Researchers have found that women tend to have a distinct leadership style that shapes how they run their teams. This newly enforced strategy is nothing more of a blueprint to pave the way forward with a limelight on Transformational Leadership led by our female workforce. Women are basilar pawns in enhancing motivation, uplifting of moral and job performance of their teams, whilst identifying the needed calibration by creating a clear vision and by guiding through inspiration. This metamorphic and transformational leadership stars inspiration and motivation as their staring leads. The world is constituted of different cultures, norms, traditions and beliefs, spread on a vast plain which is constantly changing as a form of adaptability to newly enforced ideas and trends. In comes transformational leadership, which is somewhat similar to the latter. It is also inaugurated with different notions about ourselves and those around us. The orchestrating notion leads us to believe that leadership is not a basilar operation but a course of being or actuality. Then comes the focus on power. In previous times power was used to control others, predominate one’s leadership stance over others and be the go-to person for all related decisions. This is not the case anymore, for now is the time to use leadership in enabling others to apprehend their own will power, potential and their own arsenals needed where each can transcend to a worthy purpose and behave with moral fibre, courage, integrity and trust. And to conclude these notions, leaders should resort to their own humble approach to deviate from getting people to do things as the leader would see it to be done, rather to working together as equal business partners directed towards their common goals, by following the “yellow brick road” to success. The above strategies incline women to take the lead in the full implementation. This because these notions come naturally to women as part of their being. Despite women being characterised as “soft and pliable” leaders, their own instincts and natural leadership strategies incline them to be the right person for the job, especially in the post pandemic era. This non changing description is none other than an undefined stereotype. In comes Transformational Leadership to dissipate this adverse perception of women in leadership, of a highly competitive nature without the need to lower her true level of intrusiveness. A female leader with a drive towards ethics, partnered with a diversified business model, associated with adopting a team ambiance and highlighted by a creative vision for success and high achievement can point her circumference to a highly successful model paving the way for the team’s success, goals and most importantly, the true leaders of tomorrow. “United in optimism” as huge opportunities lie ahead within the mandatory changes in the workplace ecosystem paving the somewhat organic way for female empowerment. By Dagmar Symes, General Manager at Private Estate To know more about the author, visit this link.
Mastercard New Payments Index
Mastercard New Payments Index: Consumer Appetite in Middle East and North Africa for Digital Payments Takes Off As the world went into pandemic lockdown in 2020, consumers shifted their spending habits to embrace contactless tap-and-go payments and online shopping. As stores closed and social distancing took hold, retailers worldwide moved their businesses online, embraced e-commerce and explored the potential of new ways to pay. More than a year later, research from Mastercard shows that the adoption of new payment technologies is rising, and consumer appetite for new, fast and flexible digital experiences continues to grow. The Mastercard New Payments Index shows 95% of Middle East and North Africa (MENA) consumers will consider using at least one emerging payment method, such as cryptocurrency, biometrics, contactless, or QR code, in the next year. Over two-thirds of respondents (65%) agree they have tried a new payment method they would not have tried under normal circumstances, but the pandemic has galvanized people to try flexible new payment options to get what they want, when they want it. With this interest and consumer demand also comes a greater expectation for businesses to provide multiple ways to shop and pay. In fact, 61% of MENA consumers say they would avoid businesses that do not accept electronic payments of any kind. Additionally, nearly 3 out of 4 (73%) UAE consumers say that digital payment methods help them save money. “The pandemic made us think differently, partly out of necessity,” said Craig Vosburg, Chief Product Officer at Mastercard. “To deliver the choice and flexibility that consumers need – and increasingly expect –retailers worldwide need to offer a range of payment solutions that are easy to access and always on. As we look ahead, we need to continue to enable all choices, both in-store and online, to shape the fabric of commerce and make the digital economy work for everyone.” Contactless technology was the digital catalyst to explore new payment options because of its fast, secure, and touch-free experience. Between the first quarter of 2020 and the same period in 2021, more than 100 markets saw contactless as a share of total in-person transactions grow by at least 50 percent. A year into the COVID-19 pandemic, contactless is showing its staying power and dynamism – in the first quarter of 2021 alone, Mastercard saw 1 billion more contactless transactions worldwide as compared to the same period of 2020. All signs point to a continued growth path for contactless, with nearly 7 in 10 consumers globally anticipating using a contactless card this year. Looking to the future, digital currencies and wallets, wearables, biometrics, contactless and QR codes are trending as emerging payments technologies as people’s comfort with them and understanding of them increases and the use of cash decreases. In fact, 88% of consumers in the region have more ways to pay compared to this time last year. The exploding interest in new payment technologies may encourage businesses to expand their options at checkout. The Mastercard New Payment Index found: Cryptocurrency1 Gains Ground – Today consumers can buy, sell, and trade cryptocurrency as a commodity or investment. Consumers are also increasingly showing interest in being able to spend crypto assets for everyday purchases. As global interest in digital currencies continues to accelerate, 5 in 10 people (52%) in MENA say they plan to use cryptocurrency in the next year, with more than half (65%) noting they are more open to using it than they were a year ago. While consumer interest in cryptocurrency – especially floating digital currencies such as Bitcoin – is high, work is still required to ensure consumer choice, protection, and their regulatory compliance. Earlier this year, Mastercard announced that it will start supporting select cryptocurrencies directly on its network. Biometric Payments are More Trustworthy – Perceptions of safety and convenience have been front and center for people over the past year. 49% of consumers in MENA say they plan to use biometric verification methods like gait or walk assessments and fingerprint authorization. In fact, over 6 out of 10 people (66%) feel safer using biometrics to verify a purchase than entering a pin. QR Codes are Cleaner and More Convenient – Growing markets are leveraging QR-based options as a clean and convenient way to interact with merchants. 55% of people in MENA expect to use more payment technologies like QR codes in the next year. Consumers also find that that QR codes are cleaner (69%) and more convenient (69%) for in-person payments and have a significant potential to reduce cost of payment acceptance and increase financial inclusion Digital Wallets Surge in Popularity – As digital wallet services continue to proliferate in the region, the technology has seen a surge in popularity. 66% of consumers in MENA say that they would use digital wallets next year while 67% say they plan to use digital money transfer services. To Meet People’s Demands, Businesses Forced to Jump into Emerging Payment Trends With consumer interest around new payment technologies, the expectation for businesses to adapt for the long-term is here to stay. Over three in four MENA consumers (75%) say that they prefer to shop more at businesses that have both an in-person and online presence. Furthermore, 76% noted being more excited to shop at retailers that can offer the latest payment methods and 74% said they would be more loyal to retailers who offered multiple payment options. This behavior shift is reinforced by the desire for consumer choice – with 78% saying that they expect to make purchases when they want and how they want. The businesses that can provide multiple ways to shop and pay are best positioned to meet these expectations. As the demand for emerging payments and choice continues, it requires a wider range of payment solutions, insights, and products to meet the accelerating enthusiasm for the future state of pay.
International Fashion Week Dubai: The Most Promising Show in The Region
International Fashion Week Dubai: The Most Promising Show in The Region The International Fashion Week Dubai recently held the Season 11 of its Mega Show stunner event. This season happened to be by far the best season we have seen of the International Fashion Week Dubai as it was really a grandeur event. Every season keeps getting bigger, better, and record-breaking with the technicalities that entail pulling off such an amazing event. The IFWD is the only fashion week that is currently physically happening around the world and it is in a hundred-percent compliance with the COVID-19 precautionary measures alongside full physical attendance and participation of its attendees and participants. The Season 11 of the International Fashion Week Dubai is the second Season after its season 10 in November 2020 that will be successfully physically taking place post-lockdown and it has become obvious that the International Fashion Week Dubai brand is the Best not just in Dubai but around the world. They have been able to keep their vision alive notwithstanding the current COVID situation whilst ensuring the safety of all participants and still putting up a fantastic and mind-blowing fashion show for all. Everyone is highly impressed and pleased with the integrity, consistency, passion, dedication and hard work that International Fashion Week Dubai has shown over the years. The Season 11 of the International Fashion Week Dubai was graced by the presence of some high-profile guests such as – RIDA AL ABDULLA, DR YAQOOB, CONTESS ELENA DE BECCO, Ambassador of Moldova, Counsel General of Romania, alongside many others. The international Fashion Week Dubai was pleased to have received these guests in attendance. Managing Director and Founder of IFWD, Cheryle Dias, is one of the stars of the fashion industry, who is not scared of taking such risk to support the fashion industry in these critical times of COVID. She explained that International Fashion Council, a non-profit entity by IFWD, is going to take more responsibilities to take this venture to other heights. She mentioned that IFWD is the most professional fashion week of the world which caters to every need of fashion industry and trying to create opportunities for designers to boost their passion. The International Fashion Week Dubai Season 11 Fall/Winter collection took place from the 18th – 20th of March at a very high-end five-star hotel in Palm Jumeirah, this Season being the biggest – post-pandemic – we have seen. The entire organization and presentation of the event displayed elegance and a contemporary aspect to having Fashion events, given the new development with COVID. The just-concluded Season 11 of the International Fashion Week Dubai recorded a variety of modern, creative, and classy designers from various parts of the world, for the day one opening ceremony of the season 11 event had actively present VIANN K. MANSUR, a Mexican designer, BODO STREET a Romanian designer, KORA TOPA, a designer from Moldova, STADA BOUTIQUE BY GEORGIANA STAVROSITU, another Romanian designer, and they all showcased beautiful, stylish, and unique pieces from their various collections. The day two of the IFWD Season 11 presented DOROTA GOLDPOINT, a Polish designer, FARIELLES/EZRA ANTRIK ISRAEL, a designer from Amsterdam, AREEJ RIMAWI, a designer from Jordan, NICOLETTA MARIN a Romanian designer, and they all performed exceptionally by showcasing an array of new trends and eye-catching pieces from their collections. The Grand Finale day displayed different showcases from WALETTY THE LABEL, a German designer, SPOSA BY ELZBIETA PACYNO, a Polish designer, LUCY & ANASTASIA KAITRINI, a Georgian designer, and finally wrapped up by Cheryle Dias, celebrity designer from UAE, the Managing director of IFWD. In a nutshell, the designers for the IFWD Season 11 showcased beautiful, elegant and sophisticated pieces from their collections, this was a great show as every designer who participated brought in their A-game and was able to successfully slay the runway. The participating exhibitors who showcased their products were Ballerina Secrets from Poland, Sposa from Poland, Miapka Design from Poland, 1One from the Netherlands, Dorota Goldpoint from Poland, Viann K from Mexico, there was no doubt that guests were highly pleased and elated with the designers from the priceless expressions on their faces as they watched the designers showcases their pieces all three days. The highlight of the event was the INTERNATIONAL FASHION AWARDS which took place on the night of the grand finale, the awards were presented to merited recipients as a form of appreciation and recognition for their commendable contribution towards the success of the International Fashion Week Dubai Season 11. Another feature which is always part of the show to which is emerging designers Competition, this time , 3 winners were selected, the 1st and 3rd one being from capital/ London college of arts and 2nd position was taken by designers from Amsterdam. It is obvious and safe to say that the organizers of the International Fashion Week Dubai outdid themselves this season; they have made their way to the top with their hard work, creativity and consistency. They are a record-breaking team as they are the only Fashion Event organizers to be hosting a physical Fashion Event post lockdown in a magnificent way around the world whilst adhering strictly to the COVID19 safety measures, they deserve all the accolades and is definitely a fashion event to be proudly affiliated with. We look forward to the upcoming seasons from the International Fashion Week Dubai team as it will definitely be mind-blowing as the Creative Director of the IFWD team is popularly known for going above and beyond to put together a fantastic show. Wasim Mandil, the very famous personality had a huge role in presenting the show. Liliana Evely – a famous models trainer from Switzerland and Milan – came to train the models and added huge value to the show. Adrian Lafter was another choreographer who travelled all the way from Moldova to take part of the show. The Organizers are hoping that the upcoming season 12 in November 2021 will be free from COVID restrictions and can prove bigger opportunities to the designers from all over the world as it will be