I am fifty years old, fifteen of which I have been living in Dubai. During this time, I launched several businesses and realized one simple thing: teams don’t fall apart because of a lack of talent. They are falling apart due to lack of trust.
When I founded 2088 Real Estate, I knew from day one that I didn’t want to build a company where people work out of fear. I want to bring those who seek responsibility, not tyranny. Because I am responsible for the result. And if a person works on my team, I am obliged to provide him with all the conditions: the best office, competitive compensation, and tools for work. In return, I expect one thing – a result and a willingness to be responsible for my decisions.
The leader creates conditions for the development of the team, rather than dictating actions
Many managers confuse management with control. They believe that the more they interfere in the team’s work, the better the results will be. It’s an illusion. Control creates dependence. People stop thinking for themselves and wait for instructions at every step. My task as a leader is to provide the team with resources and remove obstacles from their path. Then everyone acts in their own zone of power. Someone is good at negotiations, someone in analytics, someone in building relationships with clients. I’m not teaching them how to do their job. I give them the space to do it their way. Recently, one of the brokers made a decision that seemed risky at first glance. He offered the client a non-standard investment scheme for commercial real estate. I could have intervened and stopped the deal. But instead he asked: Are you sure about the calculations? He replied in the affirmative. The transaction was successful and the client was satisfied. The person has received confirmation that he is trusted. This is more expensive than any bonuses.
Honesty and transparency as the basis of governance
In business, it is customary to speak glowingly about corporate culture. But culture is not about posters on the walls or beautiful presentations. Culture is how you act in difficult situations. I base my work on three principles: honesty, transparency, and speed of decisions. If there’s a problem, I want to know about it right away. Not after a week, when the situation got out of control. Immediately. Because it’s easier to solve any problem at an early stage. To do this, the team must have an atmosphere where people are not afraid to tell the truth. Mistakes happen to everyone. It’s not a question of avoiding errors.
The question is how quickly you recognize and correct them. One of our agents recently lost a client due to inaccurate information about the facility. He came to me right away, explained the situation and suggested a plan of action to fix it. We disassembled the case, identified where the failure occurred, and implemented additional data verification. The man was not reprimanded. He gained experience and confidence that honesty is more important than the appearance of perfection.
Perfection is not so important compared to the speed of solutions
In Dubai’s luxury real estate market, prices are rising rapidly. Objects appear and disappear in a matter of days, which is why clients make decisions quickly. If your team is waiting for the supervisor’s approval for every action, you are losing out on speed. I have established a simple rule: anyone in the team can make decisions within their competence. Even if it leads to financial losses up to a certain amount. Does it sound risky? Maybe. But do you know what’s more expensive? Missed opportunities because the decision was made too late. When a person understands the limits of his responsibility and knows he is trusted, he acts faster and more effectively. He doesn’t waste time on approvals. He spends time on the result.
Respect for everyone’s power zone
I don’t believe in universal soldiers. Everyone is strong in something specific. My task is to understand precisely what it is and allow him to develop in this direction. Some brokers work well with clients from specific regions. They understand cultural differences and know what matters to investors. Others are good at analytics and can predict market movements several years ahead. Still others can build long-term relationships and turn one-time clients into permanent partners. I’m not trying to make everyone look like the same specialist. I’m building a team where different skills complement each other. It works much more effectively than trying to teach everyone everything. One of my agents specializes in commercial real estate. He knows the office market thoroughly, understands how to calculate parking space profitability, and is familiar with coworking spaces. The other focuses on premium residential properties. Everyone works where they are most effective. And the results confirm this.
Create an environment for growth, not survival
When people come to work thinking about how not to make mistakes, they survive. When they think about how to achieve more, they grow. The difference between these two states is determined by one factor – the level of trust in the team. I am intentionally creating an environment where a mistake does not become a verdict. Where the experiment is encouraged, even if it did not bring the expected result. Where is the question “what if we try something else?” meets with interest, not resistance. Not long ago, we implemented an AI system to process initial requests. The idea seemed controversial. Many in the team doubted that technology would be able to replace live communication at the initial stage. But one of the managers suggested testing the approach. He gave arguments and showed possible benefits. I gave it the green light and noticed that the system really works, freeing up brokers’ time for complex tasks. But more importantly, the person saw that his ideas were being heard and given a chance to implement them. Now he regularly comes with new offers because he knows that initiative is appreciated here.
Trust as a long-term investment
Trust is formed slowly. You can’t force people to trust you. You can only earn that trust through consistent actions. Through honesty under challenging situations. Through the willingness to be responsible for their decisions. Through respect for those who work next to you. When I named the company 2088 Real Estate, I was thinking about the long term. About the legacy that will remain after us. The same logic works with the command. I don’t build a business on fear and short-term motivation.
I’m building a business on stability and long-term relationships. Today, my team employs people who could have gone to any other company. They don’t stay because they’re afraid of losing their jobs. They stay because they are appreciated, trusted, and allowed to grow here. In my fifteen years in Dubai, I have seen many companies that rise quickly and fall even faster. There is one reason: they were built on control, not on trust. Trust creates stability. And stability creates long-term value that cannot be bought or forged. This is true leadership.
