Why Most Leaders Fail at Execution (Not Strategy) | Adil Paracha, Head of Foods at Almarai

Why Most Leaders Fail at Execution (Not Strategy) | Adil Paracha, Head of Foods at Almarai

Most people think leadership is about having the right strategy. Adil Paracha sees it differently. For him, it’s much simpler and much harder than that. If nothing gets delivered, nothing else matters. In this episode of Above C-Level, Adil Paracha sits down with host Mohammad Osama to share what leadership means beyond the job title. This isn’t their first conversation. Over 20 years ago, Osama started his career as Adil’s intern. Today, that story has come full circle, with Adil’s son now interning at GRG. It’s a dynamic that adds a different layer to the conversation, one built on years of growth, perspective, and shared experience. From being the youngest in a family of high achievers to navigating global roles across FMCG, aesthetics, and now food, Adil opens up about the pressure to prove yourself and the standards that never switch off. He talks about: ↳ Growing up in a family where titles meant nothing without real achievement ↳ The sense of urgency that shaped his leadership style early on ↳ The playbook he uses in every role to turn businesses around ↳ Why most leaders focus on the wrong KPIs and pay for it later ↳ Hiring for hunger, not experience, and the risks that come with it ↳ The difference between leaders who look good on paper and those who deliver There’s a difference between building something that looks successful, and something that actually works. And most people don’t realise which one they’re part of until it’s too late. Catch the must-listen episode now! CHAPTERS * 00:00:00 Opening: The Sandals Incident - Learning Corporate Rules the Hard Way * 00:02:59 The Sense of Urgency: Where Drive and Impatience Come From * 00:09:09 The Success Playbook: Structure, People, Strategy, and Processes * 00:15:17 Why Most Leaders Fail: The Lead KPI vs Lag KPI Problem * 00:19:34 Strategy vs People: Which Matters More for Business Success * 00:20:46 Hiring for Hunger Over Experience: The Energy and Attitude Test * 00:24:23 Red Flags in Interviews: What Gets You Rejected * 00:27:17 The Gen Z Reality: Purpose, Flexibility, and Higher Order Needs * 00:28:55 Work From Home vs Office: Finding the Balance That Works * 00:31:16 Succession Planning: How to Identify and Develop Future Leaders Listen on: Spotify: Apple:  Connect with Adil:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adilparacha/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/adilparacha/]  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adilparacha/ [https://www.instagram.com/adilparacha/]  Follow Our Host: Mohammad Osama: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mohammad-osama-8395b88/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mohammad-osama-8395b88/]

Taleen Marie on Real Housewives, Signing to Jamie Foxx, and Building Her Career in Dubai

Taleen Marie was “big” in LA. Signed to Jamie Foxx’s label, performing, and living the life most people dream about. A professional singer who opened for Christina Aguilera and even performed for Pope John Paul II, her career was already on a global stage. Then she moved to Dubai… and everything changed. No industry, familiarity, or even version of herself that fit anymore. Little did she know, this was only the beginning. Behind the Real Housewives of Dubai spotlight, there’s a very different story. In this episode of The Brand of YOU, Taleen sits down with host and good friend Robyn Abou Chedid for a deeply personal conversation about identity, reinvention, and what it really takes to start again. From leaving behind her life in LA, to building something new in Dubai, all while navigating motherhood and career, Taleen shares what it truly looks like to evolve in real time, both on and off camera. Taleen opens up about: ↳ Moving from LA to Dubai and the identity shift that came with it ↳ The reality of miscarriage, fertility struggles, and silent pressure ↳ Motherhood, postpartum depression, and discovering a new version of herself ↳ Why she chose authenticity over “playing a role” on Real Housewives ↳ The pressure to build something after fame and why she resisted it ↳ Finding purpose again through fitness, wellness, and building her brand This chat is more than about reality TV. It’s about what happens when you step outside of your comfort zone, and who you become because of it. CHAPTERS * 00:00:00 Opening: From LA Singer to Dubai Housewife - The Identity Shift * 00:02:54 The LA Years: Signed with Jamie Foxx and Living the Entertainment Dream * 00:03:52 Moving to Dubai for Love: The Culture Shock and Career Pivot * 00:05:12 The Mindset Shift: From Touring Artist to Fitness Entrepreneur * 00:08:05 The Fertility Struggle: Three Miscarriages and Finding Strength * 00:11:19 Postpartum Depression and Meeting Yourself as a Mother * 00:14:10 Becoming a Real Housewife: The Decision That Changed Everything * 00:16:44 The Art of Being Real on Camera: Performance vs Authenticity * 00:28:09 Building Confidence: From Childhood Anxiety to Fake Bathroom Interviews * 00:34:59 Entreprenuership: Building a Wellness Brand with Her Sister * 00:36:27 Closing: Who Is Taleen Without the Labels? Listen on: Spotify:  Apple:  Connect with Taleen:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taleen_marie_/ [https://www.instagram.com/taleen_marie_/]  Follow Our Host - Robyn Abou Chedid:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robynabouchedid/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/robynabouchedid/]  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/girlnamedrobyn/ [https://www.instagram.com/girlnamedrobyn/]  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@girlnamedrobyn [https://www.youtube.com/@girlnamedrobyn]

Forbes 30 Under 30… My First Game Made $2.47 | Houcem Maiza, CEO of T7D Gaming

His first game made $2.47. Not $2,470. Not $247. Just $2.47. Before Forbes 30 Under 30, before scaling across 40+ telecom operators, and before building a gaming company that actually worked, Houcem Maiza was just a 19-year-old with an idea… sitting alone in his parents’ garage after his co-founders didn’t show up. On paper, none of it made sense. No experience. No roadmap. No idea how to even build a game. Yet, in this episode of Above C-Level, Houcem Maiza, CEO of T7D Gaming, joins Mohammad Osama to share the reality of building in an industry no one teaches you how to succeed in. He speaks openly about failure, luck, timing, and the moments he almost walked away. From launching a game nobody downloaded, to one last trip to Dubai that changed his life. Houcem talks about: ↳ Building his first game with no experience and watching it fail. ↳ Making just $2.47 after months of work… and what that did to him. ↳ The dark reality of entrepreneurship that no one talks about. ↳ How one conversation in Dubai changed the direction of his company. ↳ Why luck and timing play a bigger role than most founders admit. ↳ The shift from building games to building a scalable gaming business. ↳ What the future of the gaming industry really looks like. If you’ve ever thought success was just about hard work, this episode might just change your perspective. Listen now to find out! Listen on: Spotify: Apple:  Connect with Houcem:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/houcemmaiza/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/houcemmaiza/]  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/houcem.maiza/ [https://www.instagram.com/houcem.maiza/]  Website: https://t7dgaming.com/ [https://t7dgaming.com/]  Follow Our Host: Mohammad Osama: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mohammad-osama-8395b88/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mohammad-osama-8395b88/]

The Secret to Success Isn’t Money. It’s Helping People | Spencer Lodge, Founder of Beneple

The first time Spencer Lodge went live on social media, there was only one person watching. His mum… asking him why he wasn’t wearing a tie. No audience. No traction. No personal brand. Just consistency and a willingness to show up anyway. Years later, he has the businesses, the podcast, and the visibility most people chase. From the outside, it looks like success. But what stayed with him most wasn’t the numbers. It was the people. In this episode of The Brand of YOU, Spencer Lodge, Founder of Beneple and Host of Made in Dubai, sits down with Robyn Abou Chedid for one of the most honest and unexpected conversations about what success really means, and what actually matters along the way. From showing up week after week with no audience, to investing heavily into content, Spencer reflects on the journey with a very different perspective. One that has less to do with money, and far more to do with impact, connection, and how you show up for others. Spencer opens up about: ↳ Building a personal brand “by accident” and why he still questions the idea of one. ↳ Spending $30K a month on content and what it really gave him beyond ROI. ↳ Why the most powerful people he’s met are those who have overcome the hardest lives. ↳ Creating content that truly connects, through pain, truth, and real human stories. ↳ Why chasing virality, money, or followers will never give you what you think it will. ↳ The daily habit he believes could change everything This conversation isn’t about how to chase success, it’s about redefining this through kindness and the way you make others feel. A real must watch! CHAPTERS * 00:00:00 Opening: Building a Personal Brand by Accident - The Spencer Lodge Story * 00:02:51 Why Would You Put Yourself Out There? The Fear Behind Content Creation * 00:04:49 The 400-Video Training Course That Changed Everything * 00:08:27 Living in the Moment: Why Spencer Loves True Stories Over Business Talk * 00:12:36 The Podcast Pivot: From True Crime to Made in Dubai * 00:19:36 I Feel Like a Failure: The Success Paradox * 00:23:18 What Is Your Purpose? Finding Meaning Beyond Money and Status * 00:26:58 The Two Laws That Should Exist: Volunteering and Kindness * 00:33:15 Success Isn't Money: The Maria Conceição Story and What Really Matters * 00:37:16 Closing: Be Kind, Hold Hands, and Make Each Other Laugh Listen on: Spotify:  Apple:  Connect with Spencer:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencerlodge/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencerlodge/] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spencer.lodge/ [https://www.instagram.com/spencer.lodge/] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SpencerLodgeTV [https://www.youtube.com/@SpencerLodgeTV] Made In Dubai Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@SpencerLodgeTV [https://www.youtube.com/@SpencerLodgeTV]  Follow Our Host - Robyn Abou Chedid:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robynabouchedid/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/robynabouchedid/]  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/girlnamedrobyn/ [https://www.instagram.com/girlnamedrobyn/]  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@girlnamedrobyn [https://www.youtube.com/@girlnamedrobyn]

Employees Don’t Hate Change. They Hate How You Lead It | Kat Kearsey - Marriott International

Change doesn’t fail because of strategy decks. It fails because of people. And more specifically, how leaders handle them. In this week’s episode of Out of Office, Kat Kearsey, Senior Director of Change Management at Marriott International, lets us in on what really happens inside large organisations when transformation is announced. The town halls. The strategy rollouts. The polished messaging. And then the resistance that follows. From change fatigue and leadership blind spots to why employees resist the way change is delivered, this is a real conversation about the human side of organisational transformation. Mark and Kat talk about: ↳ Why employees are not the problem in failed change programmes ↳ What leaders misunderstand about resistance ↳ How change fatigue builds and damages culture ↳ Why leadership behaviour determines whether transformation succeeds ↳ What organisations in fast moving markets must rethink right now If you are leading a team, navigating transformation, or wondering why your change initiatives are not landing, this episode will challenge you to look in the mirror.  Catch the must listen episode now. CHAPTERS * 00:00:00 Opening: The People Side of Transformation - What Change Management Really Means * 00:01:40 The Middle East Change Paradox: Fast-Paced Growth Without Proper People Management * 00:03:13 The Internal PR Problem: Why Companies Don't Invest in Change Management * 00:07:57 Gen Z vs The Old Guard: Managing Change Across Generations * 00:09:12 The Attraction Crisis: Why Dubai Is Hiring Like Crazy But No One's Getting Hired * 00:11:09 The Retiree Solution: When Young People Won't Work in Hotels Anymore * 00:12:08 AI Will Delete Your Job: The Five-Year Skills Revolution * 00:16:10 The Dubai Job Market Reality: Flooded, Competitive, and Brutal * 00:17:53 Red Flags and Networking: How to Actually Get Hired in the Middle East * 00:19:18 Europe vs Middle East: Why This Region Embraces Change and Europe Resists It * 00:22:42 Mass Redundancies and Survivor Guilt: The Right Way to Let People Go * 00:24:49 The Eggshell Culture: When Fear of Change Destroys Organizations Listen on: Spotify: Apple:  Connect with Kat:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katkearsey/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/katkearsey/] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katkearsey/ [https://www.instagram.com/katkearsey/]  Follow Our Host: Mark Timms: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marktimmsgrg/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/marktimmsgrg/]