Authors:

Wali Zahid &

Leadership Readiness Class (2006)
MBA / MS – SZABIST, Karachi
Anatomy of Leadership Readiness

Background – The Leadership Readiness course

Leadership is a much written and talked about term. We have seen authors and management
gurus talking about leadership styles, theories and even how great leaders worked to rise to the
occasion to save the day for their nations. There are numerous articles and material available on
internet as well. A simple search for the term “leadership” in Google will give you approximately
164,000,000 (164 million) results. So what is different about this course titled “Leadership
Readiness” being taught at SZABIST for the first time by Mr. Wali Zahid (see contributions)?

It is not about the above mentioned questions. It is about what it takes to become a leader. What
factors are involved in shaping up a leader, in preparing him / her to take up the leadership role,
getting him / her ready to be precise? It is a prologue to leadership or becoming a leader. In
studying the various aspects of readiness and during various brainstorming sessions in class we 1
have developed few leadership readiness models. One of these being:

“The A.B.C of Leadership Readiness”

Leadership has its own ABC; that is different from the normal ABC. It is not as simple as the letter
seems to be, it has a complete depth a new world to explore. Every word for a letter has its own
meaning and they define the quality that a leader must have. Each letter has a word of its own
and each word has its own meaning with reference to the leadership context. We tried
brainstorming and gather different views and ideas amongst ourselves, and have collected as
much possible words as we could come up with. Then in the context of leadership we have tried
explaining those words or abilities that leaders posses.

These are the qualities that one tremendous leader must posses. With these qualities person can
be a better leader. ABC tells us all the hidden qualities of a leader. You will be amazed to read all
the details and think of u as a leader and having those qualities.

A-Z is just part of few of the qualities and the topic can still be researched over.

We are the pioneers of this leadership readiness course and it is our pride and privilege to have
produced this piece of work.

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Wali Zahid & Class of Leadership Readiness – MBA Elective, SZABIST KHI (2006)

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Anatomy of Leadership Readiness

A
Ability
Leaders need to have Ability: Knowledge, skill, experience, training and understanding necessary
to perform the task successfully.

Accolade
Leaders need to be Accolade: A sign or expression of high praise and esteem for somebody.

Accommodate
Leaders need to have ability to Accommodate: To adjust actions in response to the needs.

Action Oriented
Leaders need to be Action Oriented: Openly supporting the process of doing something in order
to achieve a purpose or willing to execute task.

Adaptability
Leaders need to have Adaptability: Able to adjust easily to a new environment or different
conditions.

Agile
Leaders need to be Agile: Able to move quickly and with suppleness, skill, and control or Able to
think quickly and intelligently.

Alert
Leaders need to be Alert: Ready to deal with whatever happens, watchfull.

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Anatomy of Leadership Readiness

Ambitious
Leaders need to be Ambitious: Having strong desire to do something successfully.

Appreciation
Leaders need to have Appreciation: Feeling or expression of gratitude, a favorable opinion or
value something.

Articulate
Leaders need to be Articulate: To express thoughts, ideas, or feelings coherently or clearly.

Authority
Leaders need to have Authority: Right to command, legitimate power.

Awareness
Leaders need to have Awareness: Having the sufficient Knowledge about the project /
assignment to be performed and how the task can be achieved, well-informed about what is
going on.

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Anatomy of Leadership Readiness

B
Balanced
Leaders need to be Balanced: Stable and able to make rational judgments, taking into account all
sides on their merits.

Bold
Leaders need to be Bold: Eager to face danger with a sense of confidence and fearlessness,
daring.

Boost
Leaders need to have ability to Boost: Strengthen or encourage.

Brave
Leaders need to be brave: Having or showing courage, especially when facing danger, difficulty,
or pain.

Bright
Leaders need to be bright: Showing ability to think, learn, or respond quickly. Cheerful and lively.

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Anatomy of Leadership Readiness

C
Calculated
Leaders need to be calculated: Having a quality to consider a situation carefully and decide what
is likely to happen.

Calm
Leaders need to be Calm: Not anxious; without anxiety or strong emotion.

Careful
Leaders need to be Careful: Watchful and protective about something or showing close attention
to accuracy and detail.

Challenging
Leaders need to be Challenging: demanding physical or psychological effort of a stimulating kind.

Change
Leaders need to have a quality of Change: To become different, or make something or somebody
different.

Character
Leaders need to have Character: The set of qualities that make somebody or something
distinctive, especially somebody's qualities of mind and feeling; with an unusual or eccentric
personality.

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Anatomy of Leadership Readiness

Charisma
Leaders need to have Charisma: A gift or power believed to be divinely bestowed. Personal
Magnetism; the ability to inspire enthusiasm, interest, or affection in others by means of personal
charm or influence.

Comfortable
Leaders need to be Comfortable: Feeling comfort or ease. Free from stress or anxiety.

Command
Leaders need to have Command: Thorough knowledge of something.

Communicator
Leaders need to be Communicator: Having quality to transmit or reveal a feeling or thought by
speech, writing, or gesture so that it is clearly understood.

Concerned
Leaders need to be Concerned: Attentive to and interested in something. Having an active role in
or related to something.

Confident
Leaders need to be Confident: Certain of having the ability, judgment, and resources needed to
succeed; presumptuous in manner.

Continual Learning
Leaders need to have Continual Learning: Uninterrupted and recurring acquisition of knowledge
or skill.

Control
Leaders need to have Control: Ability or authority to manage or direct.

Cooperative
Leaders need to be Cooperative: Doing or willing to do what is asked or required, willing to help.

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Anatomy of Leadership Readiness

Coordinator
Leaders need to be Coordinator: Responsible for organizing diverse parts of an enterprise or
groups into a coherent or efficient whole.

Courageous
Leaders need to be Courageous: Having the ability to face danger, difficulty, uncertainty, or pain
without being overcome by fear or being deflected from a chosen course of action.

Covering
Leaders need to be Covering: Having the ability to protects, hides, or covers something.

Creativity
Leaders need to have Creativity: Having the ability to develop new and original ideas or things.

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Anatomy of Leadership Readiness

D
Daring
Leaders need to be daring: showing a courageous or courage combined with a willingness to take
risks or attempt difficult or unconventional things.

Decision Making
Leaders need to have capability of decision making: Ability of making choices or reaching
conclusions, especially on important political or business matters.

Deliver
Leaders need to Deliver: to provide or produce something or give a talk to an audience.

Dexterous
Leaders need to be Dexterous: mentally sharp or quick, skill in physical movement.

Dignity
Leaders need to have a Dignity: A proper sense of pride and self-respect.

Diplomacy
Leaders need to have Diplomacy: Skill and tact in dealing with other people.

Distinct
Leaders need to be Distinct: Clearly different and separate from others, very great in degree.

Diversity
Leaders need to have Diversity: Variety of something or a difference from what is normal.

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Anatomy of Leadership Readiness

Dynamic
Leaders need to be Dynamic: Full of energy, enthusiasm, and a sense of purpose and able both
to get things going and to get things done.

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Anatomy of Leadership Readiness

E
Eagerness
Leaders need to have Eagerness: Expressing enthusiastic interest and expectation or an
impatient desire to do something.

Educated
Leaders need to be Educated: well taught or has had a good education.

Effective
Leaders need to be Effective: Producing a result, especially the desired or intended result

Efficient
Leaders need to be Efficient: Capable of achieving the desired result with the minimum use of
resources, time, and effort.

Eloquent
Leaders need to be Eloquent: saying something in a forceful, expressive, and persuasive way,
expressing a feeling or thought clearly.

Energetic
Leaders need to be Energetic: Displaying great vigor or force.

Enthusiasm
Leaders need to have Enthusiasm: Passionate interest in or eagerness to do something.

Esteem
Leaders need to have Esteem: A high opinion and appreciation of somebody or something.

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Anatomy of Leadership Readiness

Expressive
Leaders need to be Expressive: expressing a great deal of feeling and meaning.

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Anatomy of Leadership Readiness

F
Faithful
Leaders need to be consistently trustworthy and loyal, especially to a person, promise, or duty.

Facilitating
Leaders need to make something easy or easier to do.

Fearless
Leaders need to be resolute in the face of dangers or challenges.

Fire in the belly

Leaders need to have a strong liking or enthusiasm for a subject or activity.

Flexible
Leaders need to be able to change or according to circumstances, or adaptable.

Focus
Leaders need to have concentrated effort or attention on a particular thing, the condition of seeing
vision clearly.

Focused
Leaders need to be single-minded and determined.

Friendly
Leaders need to have a pleasant welcoming atmosphere.

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Anatomy of Leadership Readiness

G
Genius
Leaders need to have exceptional intellectual or creative ability.

Gifted
Leaders need to have great natural talent or intelligence.

Gut
Leaders need to have courage or boldness.

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Anatomy of Leadership Readiness

H
Harmony
Leaders need to bring a pleasing effect produced by an arrangement of different things, scenarios
or actions.

Health
Leaders need to have soundness, vitality, and proper functioning of all his physical and mental
organs.

Heart
Leaders need to have capacity for courage and determination, and also the ability to feel humane
and altruistic feelings.

Humane
Leaders need to be showing the better aspects of the human character, especially kindness and
compassion with an emphasis on respect for other people's views.

Humble
Leaders need to be feeling or showing respect and deference toward other people.

Humility
Leaders need to be the quality of being modest or respectful.

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Anatomy of Leadership Readiness

I
Imaginative
Leaders need to be good at thinking of new ideas or at visualizing things that have never been
seen or experienced directly and have the ability to form images and ideas in the mind, or to think
of new things.

Initiative
Leaders need to have the ability to act and make decisions without the help or advice of other
people.

Innovative
Leaders need to be creative, especially in the way that something is done.

Insightful
Leaders need to have a clear perception and the ability to see clearly and intuitively into the
nature of a complex person, situation, or subject.

Integrity
Leaders need to have the quality of possessing and steadfastly adhering to high moral principles
or professional standards.

Intellectual
Leaders need to have a highly developed ability to think, reason, and understand, especially in
combination with wide knowledge.

Intelligent
Leaders need to be showing an ability to think and understand things clearly and logically.

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Anatomy of Leadership Readiness

J
Jack of ALL
A leader needs to be jack of all trades so that he can fill any gap created by his subordinate.

Jargon Free
Leader need to speak in a simple language so that masses can understand.

Judgment
A leader’s Judgment has to be accurate so that to make effective decisions.

Just
A leader needs to be just in their decision making.

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Anatomy of Leadership Readiness

K
Keen
Leader needs a keen vision of the future, and should set goals accordingly.

Kind
For leadership, we need hearts. We need hearts to care, to empathize, to feel injustice, and to be
passionate about righting wrongs.

Knowledgeable
Leaders are enthusiastic knowledge champions supported by top management.

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Anatomy of Leadership Readiness

L
Leader
Leader leads from the right to the right for the right.

Let it out
Leader speaks out, the hidden truth.

Lively
A leader needs to be lively and spontaneous while responding.

Loyalty
Loyalty toward friends, co-workers, subordinates, and not in the least to your own principles, will
be recognized by the ones who follow your acts. Enable others to achieve common aims and
inspire loyalty.

Luck
Leaders do not rely on good luck only.

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Anatomy of Leadership Readiness

M
Manageable
Leader need to manage their resources.

Mental readiness
Leader needs to be alert with their environment.

Mentoring
Leader need to mentor in order to nurture and grow their subordinates.

Moral
Leaders actively apply moral values to achieve enduring personal and organizational success.

Morale
Leader must have charisma to lift morale with a smile.

Motivation
Leader should motivate its subordinate through self-achievement.

Multi Dimensional
A leader needs to be multi dimensional rather than being on a single track.

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Anatomy of Leadership Readiness

N
Noble
Great leaders are always noble in their respected field.

Norms
A leader should follow the norms and values of the society.

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Anatomy of Leadership Readiness

O
Open minded
A leader needs to be open minded in terms of behavior, openness to ideas and accommodating
to internal and external changes that are against the status quo.

Optimistic
A leader needs to be optimistic to think is a positive manner, this will enable the leader to identify
the emerging trends and situation and use heat and noise to improve performance.

Organized
A leader needs to be organized to maintain the checklist of task imperative for successful
completion of any task.

Out of the box

A leader needs to think out of the box in order to generate interest of his followers, innovation also
helps the sustenance of organization. But at the same time the leader should be aware of the
norms and culture.

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Anatomy of Leadership Readiness

P
Passionate
A leader needs to be passionate, meaning he needs to have the fire in the belly to set challenging
goals for himself/herself in life. Passion also leads to discipline and commitment beyond the call
of duty.

Patient
A leader needs to be patient to achieve results, sometimes a long term strategy needs to be
developed to achieve long term goals which may give edge over short term goals. Besides a
leader who thinks in the long run helps in building necessary infrastructure.

Performance
A leader needs to gauge not only his superior's performance but also his own and based on
feedback, the leader needs to improve his performance, its similar to leading by example .

Persistence
A leader needs to persist with his/her decisions/actions to achieve better results. Perseverance
leads leader and his followers to a stable position.

Powerful
A leader needs to be powerful in his actions; behaviors and speech to maintain discipline within
his/her followers.

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Anatomy of Leadership Readiness

Practical
A leader needs to be practical; he/she needs not to make castles in air as mere conjectures leads
a leader and his followers astray. Also too much planning without implementation is costly and
time consuming and may create a reputation for vacillation.

Precise
A leader needs to be precise when delegating work and responsibilities. This saves the time of a
leader as every second is precious for a leader.

Priority
A leader needs to execute things based on priorities, this will enable him/her to set a criterion and
maintain a checklist of execution. Here he/should take in the collective priorities of people and not
his individual one's.

Probing
A leader needs to be probing to investigate any discrepancies or hiccups within the system.

Promptness
A leader needs to take a prompt action in need of difficult time; alertness and tactfulness’ are the
concomitants of promptness.

Punctual
A leader needs to be punctual to set the behaviors of others in the right direction.

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Anatomy of Leadership Readiness

Q
Quality
A leader needs to create quality systems and processes.

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Anatomy of Leadership Readiness

R
Rational
A leader needs to be rational, he should be aware of the short coming of himself and his
followers.

Ready
A leader should be ready to face any daunting task or any challenging assignment, In fact this
word encompasses myriad factors of leader readiness for example ready to lead, ready to
transform and so on.

Realistic
A leader needs to be realistic; he/she should not be overconfident.

Reasonable
A leader needs to be reasonable at times; it is more concerned with ettiqutes of a leader that is a
mirror image of a leader.

Recognition
A leader needs to recognize the efforts of others and should also recognize his efforts to gain
confidence but not publicly.

Reliable
A leader needs to be a reliable person as he/she is the one leading others.

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Anatomy of Leadership Readiness

Risk Taker
A leader should be a risk taker meaning he is willing to sacrifice things to achieve much bigger
things.

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Anatomy of Leadership Readiness

S
Sincere
A leader needs to be sincere not with himself/herself, only then he/she can gain the trust of
followers.

Situation
A leader needs to access the situations to take advantage of that situation, meaning a leader
should be a good situation reader to make a move before others do.

Skilled
A leader should be skilled, only then he/she can properly guage the work of people working under
him.

Smart
A leader needs to be a smart thinker , anything smart in terms of physical is a value added
feature but a leader needs to utilize it smartly also.

Strategy
Leaders always strategize, to conduct things in order.

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Anatomy of Leadership Readiness

T
Tactful
A leader must be tactful in order to tackle the hurdles that come in the way of success.

Talented
A leader should be talented enough to analyze the problem and keep track of the progress.

Task Oriented
A leader must visualize its current progress and tend to complete the goals it has set.

Team Player
A leader must always take its followers along with it and be completely participative.

Technique
A leader must have techniques to accomplish something out of nothing or make things happen.

Temperament
A leader must have a temperament in order to cope up with the mistakes other make and find out
solutions.

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Anatomy of Leadership Readiness

U
Understanding
A leader must have the capability to understand its mate.

Unique
A leader must give out a unique style of leadership. Whatever it may deliver must be different and
bold.

United
A leader must keep its team united together. United on the thoughts, support and in both ups and
downs.

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Anatomy of Leadership Readiness

V
Versatile
A leader's action may be versatile. Every member in the team needs different way to be dealt or
communicated.

Victorious
A leader must be goal oriented. And attain victory at any cost.

Vision
A leader must have a clear vision of where it is heading for? And what is going to be the
outcome? Is it going to be what it thought before or not?

Volunteer
A leader itself must volunteer for different or difficult task; so, as to boast the overall courage and
reduce the fear of danger.

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Anatomy of Leadership Readiness

W
Will
For a leader, Will is the weapon to strive in all circumstances for success.

Wise
A leader must be wise enough to make the right decisions at right times and keeping the
consequences calculated.

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Anatomy of Leadership Readiness

Z
Zest
It is the endless enthusiasm for a leader which takes him up in the sky of victory.

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Anatomy of Leadership Readiness

About the Author

Wali Zahid is an international consultant, speaker,

trainer and executive coach. He has spoken to
audiences in Asia-Pacific, Middle East, Western Europe,
England and the United States.

Wali has trained thousands of managers and business

leaders in the past 15 years from most Fortune-500 companies. His leadership and
training of trainers workshops have been a crowd puller. His branded workshops
include ‘Leadership for CEOs’, ‘Women in Leadership’, ‘Leadership Readiness’ and
‘Leadership Derailments’.

A lifelong learner, Wali has received training and education in America, Canada, UK,
Germany, Austria and Singapore. He is an accredited leadership trainer from Team
Management Systems, Australia. He has also taught pioneering courses at MBA level
in Pakistan’s premier business schools like IBA Karachi and Szabist.

He is member of UK’s Institute of Directors, Chartered Management Institute,

Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development, Chartered Institute of Marketing and
American Management Association.

Currently, he is working as Director of Management Development Services at British

Council, Karachi and can be reached at wali.zahid@gmail.com.

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Anatomy of Leadership Readiness

Contributors

Name Age About Me Contact

Aafrin Khizra 23 BCS (Bachelor of Computer aniazi786@yahoo.com

Niazi yrs Science) from Al-Khair
University. Doing MBA with
majors in HRM from SZABIST.
Working in Faysal Bank
Limited. Will move HR
department after MBA.
Ammar 34 Working in IT field since ammarfarooq@yahoo.com
Farooq yrs 1995, with a graduate
degree from FAST Lahore in
Computer Sciences.
Currently enrolled in last
semester of MBA program at
SZABIST.
Bushra 26 Graduated (BE in Computers) bushrabhurgri2001@yahoo.c
Ubaidullah yrs from Sir Syed University of om
Bhurgri Engg & Tech. Currently in the
3rd semester of MBA at
SZABIST. Majoring in HRM.

Faisal 31 Working in IT and fnaik1@gmail.com

Shamim Naik yrs Telecommunication field
since 1999, with a graduate
and a post graduate degree
in Computer Sciences.
Currently enrolled in last
semester of MBA program at
SZABIST.
Faisal umer 25 Graduate degree in faisal_ars@hotmail.com
yrs Computer Sciences from
SZABIST. Currently enrolled
second last semester of MBA
program in HR at SZABIST.

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Anatomy of Leadership Readiness

Farhana Zia 23 Graduated (BE in Computers) farhana109@hotmail.com

yrs from Sir Syed University of
Engineering and Technology.
Presently in MBA third
semester at SZABIST with
majors in HRM.

Hisham 24 Bachelors in Software hishamtheleo@hotmail.com

Aurangzeb yrs Development from Hamdard 0333-2241882
University Karachi; An Oracle
Certified Professional with
sound knowledge of
Databases and the
Technology. To improve my
management skills, joined
SZABIST for an MBA with
majors in HR.
Mirza Faizan 27 Working for Deloitte M. mirzafaizanbaig@gmail.com
Baig yrs Yousuf Adil Saleem & Co.
Chartered Accountants in HR
Department. Also work as a
free lance visualizer and
graphic designer. Qualified
as BBA (Hons.) from BIM&CS
and certified as a 3-D
Animator from Arena
Multimedia. Currently
enrolled in MBA/MS program
at SZABIST, KHI.
Omar Hafeez 24 Working as IT Coordinator omarhafeez21@hotmail.com
yrs Sind for Ministry of
Environment (Government of
Pakistan) on implementation
of SMART project. Graduated
(BCS) from SZABIST in 2005,
presently in 2nd semester of
MBA program with majors in
HRM.

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Anatomy of Leadership Readiness

Shahla 30 Attached with Banking surhyoshahla@yahoo.com

Surhyo yrs Industry since 2000, having
past flavor of Citibank &
currently designated as
Relationship Manager in
Human Resources at Bank
Alfalah Limited, holding a
Masters in International
Relations, MBA (Marketing) &
M-Phil in IHRM is in progress
at SZABIST under feather of
Northamton UK.
Shehnaz 23 BCS and MCS from SZABIST. shehnaz83@gmail.com
Shalwani yrs Right now pursuing MBA in
Human Resource final
semester. After completing
MBA in HR. I have passion to
work with HR department of
a good multinational where I
can learn and apply my
skills. My hobbies include
music, TV and reading.
Shiraz Ahmed 29 Working in HR & shirazvohra@yahoo.com
yrs Management since 1999,
with PGD in Public
Administration, Masters in
HRM and a Certified HR
Professional, currently
enrolled in MS program at
SZABIST.
Syed Fida Currently doing MBA from lion.of.khyber@gmail.com
Marvat SZABIST Karachi. And
serving in PAF as Flight
Lieutenant. BE, Aeronautical
Engineering PAF Academy
Risalpur /NUST.

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Anatomy of Leadership Readiness

Tabassum 45 Serving in Pakistan Navy in cdr_tabassum@yahoo.com

Nadeem yrs the HR department for PN
Civilian Employees as
number two.
Joined Navy in 1979 as a
junior Cadet (after
matriculation). By profession
submariner. BSc (Hons) in
Naval Sciences and Bsc
(Hons) in War Studies from K
U. Currently enrolled in 4th
semester of MBA program at
SZABIST.
Umer Irfan 25 Currently doing MBA in HR umerirfan@yahoo.com
yrs from SZABIST Karachi. Have
done BS (IT) from
Assumption University
Bangkok. Worked at UNHCR
Bangkok as Coordinator for a
year.

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