DUBAI: Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has outlined three principles he says future government leaders will need as technology, economies and other forces change at an increasingly rapid pace.
His guidance centres on adaptability, people and speed. Rather than relying solely on long-term forecasts, he calls for institutions that can adjust quickly, teams whose capabilities are actively developed, and decision-making systems that can turn ideas into action faster.
The principles appear in a message to his government work team included in The Messages, Sheikh Mohammed’s newly released book. The book brings together personal letters and reflections drawn from nearly six decades of public service and follows Lessons from Life.
Why Sheikh Mohammed says leadership is changing
Sheikh Mohammed’s message starts from the premise that today’s challenges are increasingly interconnected.
He points to the rapid development of technology alongside changes in politics, economics and climate. In his view, these developments cannot be treated as separate issues because a change in one area can produce consequences elsewhere.
That means government institutions need to prepare for several possibilities rather than assume that a single forecast will remain valid.
His first principle is therefore adaptability.
1. Build institutions that can adapt
Sheikh Mohammed argues that future leaders should place greater emphasis on readiness than prediction.
The approach does not mean abandoning planning. Instead, the focus is on creating institutions and teams that can learn, adjust their methods and respond when circumstances change.
He contrasts this with an excessive reliance on fixed five- or 10-year strategies. The central leadership challenge, according to his message, is to ensure that an institution can continue functioning effectively when the assumptions behind an earlier plan no longer hold.
This emphasis also fits with the UAE government’s earlier shift towards shorter, more agile cycles of government work. The UAE Cabinet’s government-work methodology announced in 2021 placed greater emphasis on transformational projects and shorter six-month-to-two-year cycles rather than relying exclusively on five- to 10-year strategic cycles.
For future leaders, Sheikh Mohammed also places value on asking the right questions rather than simply relying on accumulated knowledge or past experience.
2. People remain the key resource
The second principle focuses on employees.
Sheikh Mohammed describes people as the most important resource in an organisation, particularly because ideas, creativity and initiative come from individuals and teams.
That means leadership should not be limited to monitoring employees. His message calls for creating conditions in which people can contribute ideas, take initiative and learn from experimentation.
The emphasis on developing people is consistent with the UAE’s broader government leadership programmes. In February 2026, Sheikh Mohammed attended the graduation of the third cohort of the Future Government Leaders Programme at the World Governments Summit and said developing the capabilities of the next generation of government leaders was important to future government performance.
The message also places responsibility on leaders to create an environment where employees can contribute rather than simply follow instructions.
For government organisations, that means institutional knowledge is not confined to senior officials. Employees at different levels may have ideas capable of improving services, processes or the way an organisation responds to emerging challenges.
3. Faster decisions as change accelerates
The third principle concerns the speed of decision-making.
Sheikh Mohammed warns that institutions can fall behind when the pace at which the outside world changes becomes faster than their ability to respond.
The issue, therefore, is not simply whether a decision is correct. Timing can also affect its value.
He argues that future leaders need to reduce the gap between an idea and its implementation. Artificial intelligence, he says, can help institutions compress that timeline and accelerate processes.
The emphasis on faster execution also features in the UAE’s current government agenda. At the UAE Cabinet’s September 2 meeting, Sheikh Mohammed outlined messages for government teams at the start of the 2026-27 government season, including a focus on continuing delivery rather than waiting for perfect conditions.
At the September 2026 New Government Season Meeting, he also directed government teams to accelerate projects and priorities, strengthen coordination between entities and develop more efficient and agile working models.
A leadership model built around readiness
Taken together, the three principles form a clear framework for how Sheikh Mohammed says government institutions should operate in a rapidly changing environment.
Adaptability means institutions should be capable of changing course when circumstances shift.
People means employees and their ideas should be treated as a central organisational resource.
Speed means decisions and implementation should keep pace with external change.
The message comes as the UAE continues to expand its use of artificial intelligence and other technologies in government. In September, the Ministerial Council for Artificial Intelligence and Development reviewed the second phase of the UAE’s Agentic AI Project, with the government describing AI as part of efforts to improve government efficiency and accelerate execution.
Sheikh Mohammed’s message ultimately places the responsibility for preparing for the future on institutions and their leaders rather than on predictions about precisely what that future will look like.
His closing advice to government teams is built around the same three themes: remain flexible, invest in people and accelerate decisions.
What are Sheikh Mohammed’s three principles for future government leaders?
They are adaptability, investing in people and faster decision-making. Sheikh Mohammed says institutions must be able to adjust to change, empower employees and respond quickly.
What is Sheikh Mohammed’s first leadership principle?
The first principle is adaptability. He stresses building institutions and teams that can adjust to changing circumstances rather than depending entirely on fixed long-term forecasts.
Why does Sheikh Mohammed emphasise people?
He identifies people as a central organisational resource because employees contribute creativity, ideas and initiative. Future leaders should create environments where those capabilities can develop.
Why is faster decision-making important?
Sheikh Mohammed says institutions risk falling behind when external change happens faster than they can respond. He therefore emphasises reducing the time between an idea and its implementation.
What role does AI have in Sheikh Mohammed’s leadership principles?
He identifies artificial intelligence as a tool that can help compress time and accelerate the movement from ideas to implementation.
What is The Messages?
The Messages is Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid’s new book containing personal letters and reflections based on nearly six decades of public service. It follows Lessons from Life.
When was The Messages released?
Sheikh Mohammed unveiled the book on September 6, 2026. The collection contains 26 messages addressed to family members, his team, UAE citizens and others.
