Tuesday 18 / August / 2026
As we were roaming around, I gazed at Mohammed and said, do you know what? He spontaneously responded, what? as if the word had been besieged for a long time, waiting for the right moment to escape. I said, I’ve noticed that whenever the word leadership comes to mind, most people immediately think of leading others. Yet, before anyone can effectively lead others, they should learn how to be effective executives as Peter Drucker highlighted after all effectiveness can be leaned.
My friend Mohammed was taken aback. He asked, but isn’t that actually the case? After all, everyone is already leading themselves. I replied, You’re absolutely right. But the real question is: how effective are we in leading ourselves? He looked at me as if I had said something profound. After a brief pause, he said, I’ve never thought about it this way.
I guess you’re right, he added. But what exactly do we lead when we lead ourselves? That is a powerful question my friend, I commented. Let me simplify the answer. Self-leadership is not about controlling every aspect of life. Rather, it is about intentionally directing our thoughts, emotions, attitudes, decisions, habits, and actions toward the person we aspire to become. It means setting meaningful goals, focusing our energy on achieving them, and refusing to let distractions define our future.
This lesson is of paramount importance for young people as well. Whether they are university students preparing for their future, a graduate searching for a job opportunity, an employee striving to add value to their organization, entrepreneurs chasing their dreams or volunteers seeking to make a positive impact in their community, your greatest advantage is not merely your knowledge or talent, it is your ability to lead yourself consistently.
Let me narrate the saga of Abdullah and Saeed, identical twin brothers in our neighborhood. They were born into the same family, raised by the same parents, attended the same schools, and were blessed with similar talents and opportunities. From the outside, there was little to distinguish one from the other. Yet, as the years passed, their lives began to diverge.
Abdullah learned to lead himself. He sat clear goals, managed his time wisely, disciplined his emotions, and accepted responsibility for his choices. He was not perfect. On the contrary, he stumbled, made mistakes, and faced setbacks, but each experience became a lesson rather than an excuse for frustration and surrendering. Over time, his small, consistent decisions accumulated into remarkable results. People trusted him, opportunities came his way, and his confidence grew because it was built on learning how to lead himself rather than let the prevailing circumstance shape his destiny.
On the other hand, his brother Saeed drifted through life. He allowed distractions to dictate his priorities, emotions to govern his decisions, and circumstances to shape his future. He was a super procrastinator who kept postponing important tasks, blaming external factors when things went wrong, and waiting for extrinsic motivation to pacify him instead of cultivating discipline.
Although, like his brother, he possessed talent and potential, potential alone never transformed his life. He went astray because he had no clear goal to set his compass toward, a direction to navigate the turbulent currents of life, turn his potential into tangible reality, and create a positive change in his life.
Years later, people looked at the two brothers and assumed that Abdullah had simply been luckier. Few realized that the real difference was not luck, intelligence, or opportunity. The difference was the rewarding impact of self leadership. The gap between them was created one decision at a time, one habit at a time, one choice at a time.
The same principle applies to everyone around the globe, Omanis and expatriates alike. After all, as human beings, each one of us has a dream, regardless of how small or big it may be. The only difference is that success is a prepaid business. As the maxim goes, no gain without pain.
We all need to set clear goals and remain laser focused as we strive to lead ourselves toward achievement. The journey is not easy, nor will it always be rosy. We are likely to fall, face challenges, and be captured by our inner cursor, yes, the whispering voice that wants us to believe that we are not capable, that we are not ready yet. The same voice narrates one lame excuse after another, trying to ensure that we give up and bid our dreams an eternal goodbye.
As the world celebrated International Youth Day on the 12th of August, let us salute the youth around the globe and acknowledge their dedication, hard work, creative ideas, and innovative solutions. Their efforts are truly commendable, and their aspirations are a source of hope for the future.
Likewise, our Omani youth should remember that they are the pulse of the nation, the leaders who will brilliantly navigate change and turn the wheel of development toward a promising future. They should realize that they are living in a VUCA world, where volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity are part of the landscape. The university degree may open a door, but self leadership determines whether you walk through it. The well crafted résumé may earn you an interview, but your discipline, reliability, and willingness to keep learning determine whether you can build a successful career. Your technical skills may secure you a job, but your attitude, integrity, and ability to lead yourself will determine how far you can go. Even in volunteer work, your impact is measured not only by your desire to serve, but by your commitment, consistency, and sense of responsibility.
In the end, it is not simply what you know or what you have; it is how you lead yourself that determines what you can become. Keep learning to keep shining. Stay connected to the Holy Quran to find tranquility, inner peace, and a sense of balance. Learn from the wisdom of history, and adapt to the accelerating changes of your era by embracing a flexible mindset and a passion for lifelong learning. In other words, own your success and soar high in pursuit of your dreams and aspirations. After all, you are the captain of your own ship.
An Omani writer focusing on youth development and cultural issues.
