💼 Leadership isn’t something that comes naturally to everyone — it’s a skill that takes time, practice, and yes, the occasional misstep to master. In this new limited-edition EnterpriseAM vertical, we’re asking industry players what makes a great leader. Speaking to us this week is Mahmoud Khattab, founder, chairman, and CEO of B.TECH.

EnterpriseAM: What have you learned about leadership recently that you wish you had learned earlier in your career?

Mahmoud Khattab: I think everything comes in time. This is one of the things that leaders should be aware of: you will never be fully knowledgeable about everything, and you shouldn’t expect that. Throughout your journey, you go through different phases.

A decision you take when the company has 20 people will differ a lot from that same decision when the company has 100 people, or when the company has 5k people. One size does not fit all. Many times people think, “If only I had known this earlier, I would have made a different decision.” Decision-making isn’t a textbook. What to do and what not to do, how to act here and how to act there — many things make a difference. Economic conditions matter, the nature of competition matters; everything matters. What I didn’t know yesterday was not meant to be known yesterday.

E: What do you think the difference is between a good leader and a great leader?

MK: How your team feels about you, and how accountable you hold yourself. Know that you’re always responsible for the decisions you make, and that blame never falls on your team. You will make mistakes, leaders are human at the end of the day.

The key is how you learn from your mistakes and not being too proud to admit you were wrong. Great leaders also don’t get overexcited when they succeed. Many people stop at a certain level of success and think they’ve conquered the world.

E: Would you say that being self-critical is the trait of a great leader?

MK: It’s very important to criticize your own thinking and decisions all the time, but not to the extent that it hinders you. Some people think they should take all the time in the world, but by the time you take the decision, the train will have left. You’re still deciding between booking the aisle seat or the window seat while the train has moved on.

E: What do you do when you have to make a decision that many of your team members don’t agree with?

MK: As a leader, you have a 360-degree view of everything, sometimes your team isn’t aware of the bigger picture — they all have their angles. However, that doesn’t mean you should always oppose your team, especially when all of them voice concerns with a certain decision — ego is what kills a leader. Though if every time you take a decision and you find that your team opposes you, then perhaps you should start questioning if this is the right team.

E: If a conflict arises within your team, how do you usually navigate that?

MK: The minute I hear there is a conflict, I never listen to each party individually — I bring them together. X and Y each have a point of view? Come sit at my table. You do one of two things: either you both come up with an agreed-upon course through discussion, or you will remain in this state of conflict. It’s either consensus or I make the call.

E: Was there ever a time where you feel like you failed as a leader? Perhaps made the wrong move and realized it much later?

MK: Definitely, I’ve made many wrong moves. I still do. But true failure is failing to realize that it’s a wrong move, not taking corrective action, or living in denial. That hasn’t happened. I’ve made wrong decisions, but I always tried to spot them as early as I can, learn from them, and not be ashamed to say, “That was a wrong move, I’m sorry, I didn’t calculate it right, let’s correct it.”