When Leadership Misses the Mark: A Lesson from My Time in Saudi Arabia

I want to share a leadership story that’s stuck with me for years, and it’s not just about education, it’s about leadership in any setting.

When I was working in Saudi Arabia as the Chair of a university department, I saw something that really made me stop and think. Whenever new professors came on board, their contracts often stated they had to teach up to 20 hours a week. If you don’t work in education, that might not sound like a lot, but at the university level, that’s over six full courses.

Why did they do this? Because they didn’t always have enough professors arriving on time to start the semester, so leadership wanted to “maximize” the ones they had. On paper, it seemed like a quick fix. But in reality, it drained the teachers before they could even settle in. And when teachers are burned out, it’s not just them who suffer, the students feel it too.

Three Leadership Lessons I Learned

1. Capacity matters just as much as skill. Pushing people beyond their healthy limits might solve a short-term problem, but it’s never a long-term solution.

2. Quick fixes can cost you more in the long run. Overloading people doesn’t just impact productivity, it chips away at morale and quality.

3. Listen to the people doing the work. If leadership had asked the teachers about the impact of these heavy loads, they might have found a better, more sustainable solution.

I recorded a short video about this experience and the leadership lessons that came out of it. 🎥 Watch it

here: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/drneva_leadershipmatters-strategicleadership-sustainableleadership-activity-7356679588590034945-Gmrm

If you’ve ever had to lead a team through a staffing shortage or high-pressure period, I think you’ll relate to this story. After you watch, I’d love to hear , How do you balance workload with well-being in your leadership role?

By Dr. Neva Alexander,

Global Leadership Strategist