Nancy Alhyari On Being a Courageous and Empathetic Leader & Celebrating Small Successes Artwork

Diving for Pearls

The Diving for Pearls Podcast will feature women in the UAE and across the globe who are breaking ground in their industry, while transforming the cultural landscape. We have chosen to make links to the pearl diving tradition which was interwoven into Emirati culture more than 1,000 years ago. Additionally, as 2019 was declared the "Year of Tolerance" in the UAE, we have chosen to engage in dialogue with female thought leaders, innovators and visionaries from a diverse range of backgrounds. The women whom we will spotlight on this podcast, are in many ways analogous to “pearl divers”…women who have taken calculated risks to uncover and harvest “pearls of wisdom”- insights that have led them to illuminate their pathway and the pathway of others. Harnessed with the knowledge of these insights, these women have persevered with unwavering determination, sheer brilliance and grit. We invite you to listen in, take the plunge, reflect on the poignant stories of courage and resilience, while delving deeper into your own journey of self-discovery and exploration. "Pearls lie not on the seashore. If thou desires one, thou must dive for it".–Anonymous

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Diving for Pearls

Nancy Alhyari On Being a Courageous and Empathetic Leader & Celebrating Small Successes

February 01, 2022 • Gina P Nelson • Season 1 • Episode 17

Episode #17 of the Diving for Pearls podcast has officially launched!!! In this episode, I sit down with Nancy Alhyari, Academic Cluster Manager for Abu Dhabi Public Schools and Acting Chief Financial Officer for Bella & Bella Productions, a platform dedicated to lifting, nurturing and empowering strong communities of women across the globe. We engage in dialogue about allowing core values to serve as guiding forces in one’s life, making intentional choices “to be” rather than “do”, connecting more deeply with the things & people who matter, and the importance of acknowledging & celebrating small wins and successes. An eternal learner committed to learning, growing and developing, Nancy has found ample opportunities to practice stewardship and help others understand their vision and purpose. Noting that a leader’s most powerful ally is his/her example, Nancy chooses to lead with the heart. She fervently believes that both empathy and compassion can be a powerful antidote to exclusion, divisiveness and conflict in our schools, communities and world. She believes that if we strengthen our own empathy skills, we can help others do the same.

A native of Amman, Jordan where women have been increasingly emerging as leaders and visionaries, Nancy is using her voice to ensure that young women live a positive and self-empowered life and make full use of their talents and abilities. An electrical engineer by trade and training, Nancy remains keen on raising awareness about female leadership and changing social norms about women in the workplace. Adopting her parents’ belief that women can achieve anything they set their mind to, Nancy encourages women to tap into their potential and leverage their innate talents and strengths to become fully, contributing and participatory members of their communities. It is Nancy’s hope that women avail themselves of opportunities in underrepresented fields and support & mentor their fellow female colleagues.

Adopting as a personal credo the notion of “leaving things in better shape than when you first got there” and understanding that in order to lead others you must lead yourself first, Nancy is making a conscious effort to create a safe space for individuals to have deep, meaningful and honest heart-to-heart conversations. It was her parents who fostered an ethos within the home for discussing the “undiscussable”. Following in her parents’ footsteps, Nancy has created authentic spaces for her students and colleagues alike to hold courageous conversations with shared respect and openness, thus enabling positive change and growth.

Please subscribe to the Diving for Pearls podcast on Apple, Spotify, Patreon, iHeart and wherever you listen to podcasts and please rate and review. Thank you in advance for your support. Please connect with Nancy on LinkedIn @Nancy Alhyari and on Instagram @nancyalhiyari.

Thank you.

References and Websites:

Jordanian Women Have Come a Long Way, but Much Work Remains to be Done-

https://www.arabnews.com/node/1821501/middle-east

12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos by Jordan B. Peterson

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Peopleby Stephen R. Covey

How to Stop Worrying and Start Living by Dale Carnegie

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy

Quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson- https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/7213675-to-laugh-often-and-much-to-win-the-respect-of

Locked In Syndrome

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