We few, we happy few, we band of brothers (Henry V)

When I leave the Middle East I can leave safe in the knowledge that I helped bring Shakespeare to the Qatari principals; specifically I used the pre battle speech from Henry V to provide a shining example of transformational leadership. I am so glad I did - I knew it was risky and the fact that there was an attentive audience during my explanation and reading of the text says a lot.

Rami, one of our superb translators, was able to provide a version for the audience and I used a youtube clip to support the text.

This is an amazingly powerful speech and it has an often overwhelming effect on me. I can only guess what the Qatari men and women thought and/or felt when they watched it. Maybe...maybe a fraction of that power moved from the 16th century Britain to 21st century Qatar one morning this week in Doha. I like to think so.

I caught Maybelline at the top of the hill (Chuck Berry)

Bizarre moment recently = I had to do some presenting on the topic 'motivation' to 90 Qatari leaders (the word 'bizarre' has zero zip nada currency here). This is a group of conservative men (dressed in thobes) and conservative women (dressed in abayas and hijabs).

I stood up (I'm in a suit wearing a Madonna style headpiece microphone jobby) and I start singing Maybelline - 'As I was a motivatin over the hill - saw Maybelline in a coup de ville'.

I got a few looks let me tell you (no record contract yet thru as I type).

There's no success like failure

The delay in posting is due to the work of late - I've been preparing presentations for the two groups and presenting to them after the translating process is finished - at times it's felt a bit like being an air traffic controller with some planes stacked up on the runway waiting for take off, others in a holding pattern waiting to land and still more coming out of the hanger getting ready for flight.

That sounds more dramatic than it is but the idea is true. At times I've lost track of who's landing when and so on. I now have a few days to get prepared for a presentation in two weeks time and that's a good feeling. It's on transformational leadership to the Accredited Leaders' programme and I'm working with two Qatari Principals (Mubaraka and Sara). They have great ideas and add a really important facet to the presentation.

I thought I'd share another TED talks here - it's short, witty, has Arabic sub-titles for my Qatari friends and makes some excellent points in around three minutes on gaining success. We ALL need to remember these things from time to time.