Most leadership models assume tomorrow will look like today.
But what happens when war, a pandemic, economic shocks, or AI reshape your market overnight?
In this episode, Andrea Petrone sits down with Alain Bejjani, former CEO of Majid Al Futtaim Group, investor, Shark Tank Lebanon panelist, and author of *NEXT: Leading Through the New Realities*.
Alain led a 50,000-person, multi-billion-dollar group across the Middle East, Africa, and Central Asia through a pandemic, oil price collapse, and regional conflict without abandoning his core leadership principles.
They explore why resilience must be built before a crisis, why AI is changing growth and headcount, and why disruption is not the opposite of direction.
Key Takeaways:
- Why efficiency breaks under disruption, and why redundancy and resilience matter
- The COVID decision Alain made as CEO, and how it built long-term trust
- What AI means for teams, roles, and headcount
- How leaders can help people find purpose as AI reshapes work and identity
- Why disruption is exposing a leadership gap
- What Western leadership can learn from Japan’s school system
- How leaders can define a North Star in turbulent times
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BOOK PRE-ORDER
📘 My new book 'Reinvention at the Top: The Playbook for CEOs to Lead Under Pressure' (Wiley) is out in October. Pre-order your copy now:
👉 BOOK PRE-ORDER LINK
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FREE GUIDE
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Grab your FREE copy of '10 Foolproof Ways New CEOs Establish Authority From Day One':
👉 Download - https://bit.ly/10-fool-proof-ceo-strategies
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WCL21
WCL21 is a private, curated community of CEOs running mid-market companies. Monthly roundtables, masterclasses, and confidential conversations that don't happen anywhere else. We're in the founding member phase — a few seats remain.
👉 Request your invitation: https://andreapetrone.com/wcl21
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1:1 COACHING
Want to work with me directly? I coach a small number of CEOs and senior leaders each year through exactly the challenges in this show.
👉 Apply for 1:1 coaching: https://calendly.com/andreapetrone/strategy-call-30
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COACHING APP
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👉 See the app: https://studio.com/apps/andreapetrone/executive
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NEWSLETTER
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MORE FROM ANDREA
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Follow Alain Bejjani:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alainbejjani
Website: https://alainbejjani.com/
Book: NEXT: Leading Through the New Realities
Company: https://www.majidalfuttaim.com/
