Welcome back, Lovely Human,
Not long ago, someone introduced me by my title before I even had a chance to speak. It was accurate, and I’ve certainly put in the miles to earn it. But truthfully? I’ve never been one for a single label.
The title "CEO" describes what I do for GLEAC, but it doesn’t capture the full picture of who I’m becoming. Whether I’m spending my days between Saudi Arabia and the UAE, advising governments, or taking the stage as a keynote speaker, I’m constantly reminded that we are more than our designations.
I’ve worn many hats, from my decade as a lawyer to being the first Curator of People at Careem, and each one taught me the same thing: A title can be expansive, giving you reach and momentum. But the moment you stop asking, "Is this aligned with who I am becoming?" that same title starts to feel like a prison.
Sometimes, the very doors a title opens are the ones that quietly set our boundaries.
Don’t get me wrong. Titles are powerful. They signal value. But if we’re not careful, they freeze us in a version of ourselves that is already evolving.
Your title should expand you. Not contain you.
You can be grateful for a role and still outgrow it.
A title is powerful, until it becomes permission you don’t question.
I wrote this almost ten years ago…
It’s about something simple that most companies overlook: entry interviews.
The first 21 days can determine whether new hires thrive or quietly disengage. Done right, those early conversations pay dividends for both the individual and the organisation.
🤖 What is the latest news in AI & Emerging Tech?
1 - Robot taxi in Dubai
Dubai’s robotaxi moment is here and it’s weirdly normal watching a car drive itself.
2 - When Giants Stumble: What IBM’s AI Shock Really Signals
IBM’s market loss isn’t just about AI , it’s a warning about how quickly certainty evaporates when technology reshapes the rules of power.
3 - Accenture ‘links staff promotions to use of AI tools’
Accenture now says regular use of its internal AI tools will be factored into promotion decisions for senior managers and associate directors.
4 - Building a sovereign enterprise: Do you control your data? Or does your data control you?
Digital sovereignty is shifting from IT buzzword to boardroom priority: control, trust, resilience.
5 - Apple AI Pin. Finally Apple Did It!
A pin-sized interface replacing screens is either the future…or a spectacular flop. This video makes the case for why Apple could actually pull it off.
📚 How Can I Stay Ahead in Learning & Development?
1 - How to be a CEO when AI breaks all the old playbooks
AI isn’t tweaking leadership, it’s rewriting the scaling rules entirely. What survives when the old CEO playbook stops working?
2 - The future will be almost all startups
If the future belongs to builders, job security looks very different. A mindset shift from employee to owner may be the real upskill.
3 - To Lead Through Uncertainty, Unlearn Your Assumptions
In volatile times, certainty becomes a liability. Leaders who question their own thinking adapt faster than those defending it.
4 - Make This Counterintuitive Move to Become a More Effective Leader
In cultures obsessed with speed, restraint can be strategic power. Sometimes the smartest leadership move is doing less, not more.
💡 How Do I Broaden my Global Worldview? Baháʼí Faith
When I met Laleh, she was standing in her kitchen in Nairobi with flour on her cheek and a pot threatening to boil over.
“I do this every year,” she said, laughing, “and every year I forget how much work it is.”
Her table had disappeared under plates of sweets, fruit, and tiny wrapped gifts. Two extra chairs were squeezed into the corner. The doorbell kept ringing.
It was the start of Ayyám-i-Há, the Baháʼí days of generosity that come just before their nineteen-day fast.
I had expected something quiet. Maybe reflective. A kind of spiritual warm up. Instead it felt like the moment the lights come on at the Eiffel Tower. Warm. Anticipatory. A little electric.
“These days are about joy,” Laleh told me, pressing tea into my hands. “We give before we give things up.”
In the Baháʼí calendar, Ayyám-i-Há is set aside for generosity. Homes open. Meals are shared. Small gifts are exchanged. Acts of service are planned quietly, often without announcement.Just hospitality on purpose.
As people filled her apartment, I noticed who was there. A neighbor who was not Baháʼí. A colleague who had never been to anything like this. Two children running between adults as if they belonged to everyone.
It struck me how different this felt from the way many traditions prepare for discipline.
“Joy strengthens us,” Laleh said later, when the room had quieted. “If we remember we are connected, the fast is not lonely.”
That stayed with me.
If we remember we are connected, the discipline is not lonely.
Guiding takeaway:
Before we ask ourselves to endure, we remind ourselves why we are connected.
🍀 What Can I Do to Impact, Live Sustainably and Make the World a Better Place?
1 - How climate change could affect production of the world’s favorite fruit, the banana
The fruit we take for granted is quietly on the frontline of climate stress.
2 - Lab-grown diamonds are redefining the global diamond and jewelry market
Luxury without mining? Lab-grown diamonds are challenging the ethics and economics of sparkle.
3 - The curious link between Alzheimer’s disease and cancer
Two devastating diseases rarely collide—and scientists think that’s not a coincidence.
4 - The truffle-hunting dogs sniffing out new species in the name of science
These dogs aren’t just finding gourmet treasure, they’re mapping hidden biodiversity.
Your fans,
— Sal & the Gleac team
P.S. Meet some of our lovely humans, making waves around the world!
