Leila Hoteit: 3 lessons on success from an Arab businesswoman
ليلى حطيط: ثلاثة دروس حول النجاح من سيدة أعمال عربية.
BCG's Leila Hoteit specializes in human capital and education throughout the Middle East. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
from my young daughter Alia
الصغيرة علياء
standing tall in the middle of the mall.
ضخم يتوسط مركز التسوق.
of the United Arab Emirates.
المتحدة الثلاث.
that these were the rulers of the UAE
حكام الإمارات العربية المتحدة
to develop their nation
that here where we live,
where grandma and grandpa live,
of powerful women on the walls?
I've had to answer in my years as a parent
توجب على الإجابة عليه خلال سنيني كوالدة
of professional life, for that matter.
لذلك الأمر.
to a very hard-working pilot
for the Lebanese Airlines
stay-at-home mom and grandma.
my sister and I to pursue our education
emphasized at the time
who should be professionally motivated.
أن يحفزوا تحفيزاً محترفاً.
of my generation
من أجل الدراسة بالخارج.
and I hope I didn't do too badly
وأتمنى أني لم أكن سيئة
of his would-be son.
in electrical engineering,
والدكتوراة في الهندسة الكهربائية،
ثم استشارية في منطقة الشرق الأوسط،
then consulting in the Middle East,
in male-dominated environments.
a role model I could truly identify with.
أطابق نفسي معها.
wasn't into professional leadership.
في القيادة المهنية.
encouraging men along the way,
على طول الطريق،
and pressures I was facing,
التي كنت أواجهها،
when I had my own two beautiful children.
عندما رزقت بطفلي الجميلين.
poor, oppressed Arab women advice,
النصح لنا كعربيات بائسات ومضطهدات،
with different constraints.
have had to become our own role models.
أن يكن قدواتنا.
الثقافية بشكل أكبر من النساء الغربيات.
more cultural rigidity than Western women.
that we poor, oppressed women
العربيات البائسات والمضطهدات
certainly hard-earned lessons to share,
اكتسبناها بشق الأنفس لنتشاركها،
in the modern world.
في العالم الحديث.
is touting as the key to success:
بأنها مفتاح النجاح:
and how do you develop it?
لك أن تنميها؟
the ability to transform shit into fuel.
تحويل القرف إلى وقود.
well before my current firm,
we will call John.
and was working hard,
my case to make partner at the firm.
on my consulting projects,
of women economic empowerment.
من ناحية اقتصادية.
to a roomful of MBA students.
بطلاب ماجستير إدارة الأعمال.
to the details of my study.
in apparent shame.
to an applauding audience
وقفزت داخل السيارة.
gender parity indices,
at the bottom of the index,
that was not factual?"
ولم يكن واقعياً؟
"The whole premise of your study is wrong.
"كل افتراضات دراستك خاطئة.
break the social fabric of our society."
الاجتماعي لمجتمعنا."
their place is in the home."
فإن مكانهن البيت."
in the chaos of my brain was:
وأردده في منتصف فوضى دماغي
that partnership, Leila.
absorb this incident and its implications,
هذه الحادثة وتداعياتها،
I reached three conclusions.
إلى ثلاث استنتاجات.
their issues become mine.
الخاصة بأن تصبح قضيتي.
another sponsor, and fast.
and boy, was he great.
آخر ولقد كان رائعاً.
what women with children can do.
السيدات أصحاب المسؤولية أن يفعلن.
to my personal life.
of encouragement,
by women, men and couples
بنساء ورجال وأزواج
with my husband and I
خلاف معي ومع زوجي
of a dual-career couple.
أصحاب الحياة المهنية.
at a family gathering
في لقاء أسري
you're not a great mom,
لست أماً عظيمة،
in your career, right?
أليس كذلك؟
these words didn't hurt.
الكلمات لا تؤذي.
precious thing to me,
failing them in any way is intolerable.
هي فكرة لا تطاق.
that these were their issues,
in these situations, you have two options.
فإنك أمام خيارين.
to internalize these negative messages
to ever achieve,
negativity is their own issue,
على أنها شأنهم هم،
into your own personal fuel.
to always go for option two,
from strength to strength.
من قوة إلى قوة.
to someone supportive of their career.
داعماً لمسيرتهن المهنية.
if you plan to have a long career.
ما كنت تخططين لمسيرة مهنية طويلة.
is not an equal contributor in the home.
بنفس القدر في المنزل.
our society still assumes
مجتمعنا يفترض
should be the happiness and prosperity
يكون سعادة وازدهار
but it will take time.
بالنسبة للمرأة العربية المهنية
that the professional Arab woman
الحفاظ على بيتها مثالياُ،
is being taken care of
أطفالها قد تم تلبيتها
professional skills to your personal life.
المكتسبة بشق الأنفس في حياتك الخاصة.
has access to affordable domestic help.
على مساعدة منزلية بأسعار معقولة.
how to recruit effectively.
تعين تعييناً فعالاً.
I have based the selection
استندت في الإختيار
with my children while I'm at work
حينما أكون في العمل
for four years with my sister
was well-established.
member of our family,
since Alia was six months old.
عمر ستة أشهر.
is running smoothly while I'm at work,
وساق حينما أكون في العمل،
for her and my children,
whatever your childcare situation,
that you share with someone else.
from 7pm to 8:30pm UAE time
ever since Alia was a baby.
to protect this time
to spend quality time with my children,
وقتاً ممتعاً مع أطفالي،
reading them a bedtime story
وأقرأ لهم قصصاً قبل النوم،
lots of kisses and cuddles.
in whatever the time zone,
even if I am miles away.
حتى وإن كنت على بعد أميال.
and do basic maths.
بعمليات رياضية أساسية.
is actually more successful
مني في الواقع.
playing teacher to her little brother,
دور المدرس مع أخيها الصغير،
actually improve Burhan's literacy,
من معرفة برهان بالقراءة والكتابة،
to working their life
مبتكراً لتسيير حياتها
of responsibility in the home.
about surviving in your dual role
في دورك المزدوج
I can spend with them every day,
لي أن أقضيها معهم كل يوم،
into memorable moments,
إلى لحظات لا تنسى،
have not been very visible
لهن ظهور واضح
in politics in the Arab world.
السياسة في العالم العربي.
behind the scenes,
very important to success:
جداً من أجل النجاح:
of friends and acquaintances.
often compare themselves to other women
غالباً ما يقارن أنفسهن بنساء أخريات
successful woman in the room.
المرأة الأكثر نجاحاً في الغرفة.
competitive behavior
for one woman at the top,
much less lift them up.
للأخريات، فالقليل يحفزهن.
for this psychological trap.
that by helping each other out,
senior woman in the Middle East,
مقاماً في الشرق الأوسط،
in my network of female colleagues
شبكتى من زميلات العمل
with male seniors and peers.
والأقران الأعلى مقاماً.
came through the support of other women.
بسبب دعمي للنساء الأخريات.
who initially suggested
اقترحت في البداية
to the World Economic Forum.
في المنتدى الإقتصادي العالمي.
and my publications,
الإعلامية ومنشوراتي،
to voice her opinion,
a Saudi lady and friend,
my first project in Saudi Arabia,
مشروع لي في السعودية،
to gain traction in as a woman.
على أجر فيه.
of very many projects for me in Saudi.
مشاريع عديدة لي في السعودية.
ضمن فريقي،
as key to my own success.
مفتاح لنجاحي الخاص.
despite many recent setbacks.
كثير من الإنتكاسات مؤخراً.
five new female ministers to its cabinet,
وزيرات جديدات في مجلس وزرائها،
developed countries can claim.
دول نامية أخرى.
Alia's favorite picture.
no doubt, of great leadership,
of strong Arab women
النساء العربيات القويات
pushing the boundaries.
العوائق باستمرار.
deciding every day like me
يقررن كل يوم مثلي
to keep work out of their life,
when she stands on this stage
to call herself her mother's daughter
"her mother's son" or "mama's boy"
a completely different meaning.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Leila Hoteit - Women's advocateBCG's Leila Hoteit specializes in human capital and education throughout the Middle East.
Why you should listen
Dr. Leila Hoteit is a partner and managing director at BCG, based in Dubai. She leads the education and human capital development work in the Middle East.
Dr. Hoteit's career spans over 13 years in the management consulting industry. As part of her assignments, Dr. Hoteit has covered a slew of in-depth societal issues that punctuate the MENA region; these include education, women's empowerment, human capital development, employment and culture. Dr. Hoteit was named Young Global Leader for the World Economic Forum in 2014 -- a multi-stakeholder community of exceptional young leaders who share a commitment to shaping the global future. Dr. Hoteit holds a Bachelor's degree and PhD in Electrical Engineering from Imperial College London, as well as an MBA from France's INSEAD. She is the author of multiple patents.
Leila Hoteit | Speaker | TED.com