TEAMWORK
“Happiness is a journey focused on all segments of the UAE society, and the role of government is to create an enabling environment to achieve this goal.”
Her Excellency Ohood Khalfan Al Roumi is a powerful politician responsible for the development and future planning for the United Arab Emirates. Her training and education were in business and she made good use of this by becoming the first Arab woman to hold a role in the United Nations Global Entrepreneurship Council.
In 2016, she became the Minister of State for Happiness and Wellbeing. This was the first time this role had been created in the world. In this role she launched new positions as Happiness and Positivity Officers around the country. Each officer was given training in how to make their workplaces happy places. Mindfulness practice was introduced and the ‘science of happiness’ was studied and adopted.
Our brains are wired for relationships and release oxytocin which helps us feel connected to others when we are shown trust and respect. Working with others gives us a sense of purpose and control over our lives, helping us flourish.
Other amazing people from the Middle East are in our EDI resource. Primary PDF | Secondary PDF
In her work, Ohood Al Roumi has shown that she works well with other people to achieve a common goal. Can you take the lead in a task, and can you also let others take the lead? What is your preferred role in a team activity?
If this has inspired you, why not explore the stories of other female leaders such as Sarojini Naidu of India or Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti of Nigeria? Both feature on our website.
Image: World Government Summit