[Editor's Note: Parag H. Bhoraniya is a member of the TWA Editorial Board and is the author of previous TWA articles.]
Rehman Akhtar is a leadership development consultant, corporate trainer, and mentor with more than 30 years of professional experience, including 23 years at Saudi Aramco.
Having spent over a quarter century in Saudi Arabia and the wider Gulf Cooperation Council, he has guided graduate professionals, high-potential talent, supervisors, managers, and trainers in building confidence, influence, and leadership capability.
Today, from his base in Bahrain, Akhtar continues his mission of helping professionals become the best version of themselves through coaching, training, and content creation. His journey, spanning corporate leadership, personal transformation, lifelong learning, and even stand-up comedy, reflects a commitment to growth, resilience, and positive impact.
Parag Bhoraniya (PB): Your experience speaks for itself, and that's exactly why young professionals like us want to learn from you. Looking back at your 30-year professional journey, what have been the biggest changes and defining moments that shaped your career?
Rehman Akhtar (RA): Rather than one defining moment, I would say there has been a series of defining moments throughout my career. I'm a great believer in having powerful conversations with people around you whenever you feel a lack of clarity in your career. I can identify several points in my career where important discussions led to "aha" moments and ultimately influenced key decisions. That's why it's important to build a network of people you can speak with and learn from.
I started my career in IT support and eventually advanced into supervisory roles. Later, I moved into SAP consulting, which ultimately brought me to Saudi Arabia. That was one of the best decisions I ever made because it opened an entirely new world of opportunities. Although I had worked for several large companies before then, joining Saudi Aramco was transformational. It benefited not only my professional career but also my family and personal life.
PB: That's inspiring. Your journey clearly shows how career growth often comes from embracing opportunities and being willing to make changes when needed. During your 23 years at Saudi Aramco, you must have seen many technical experts transition into leadership roles. What are the biggest challenges and misconceptions they face, and how can aspiring leaders overcome them?
RA: This is something I talk about frequently. One of the biggest misconceptions is that technical excellence automatically makes someone a good leader. Many people are promoted into leadership positions because of their strong technical capability, but then they struggle.
Leadership is not just about technical competence. It requires an entirely different set of skills. The first is what we commonly call soft skills, although I sometimes dislike that term because it makes them sound optional or secondary. In reality, they are essential.
Technical skills may get you noticed and help you secure a role, but soft skills are what help you advance, lead effectively, and succeed over the long term. These include communication, emotional intelligence, empathy, relationship building, and the ability to build trust. Effective communication is especially important. It's not enough to simply communicate: you need to communicate effectively.
As an aspiring leader, don't focus solely on technical capability. Invest time in developing interpersonal skills that will make people trust you and want to follow your leadership.
PB: Many young professionals feel leadership is a natural trait rather than something that can be learned. What are your thoughts on that?
RA: This takes us into the classic debate: Are skills acquired or are we born with them? I strongly believe all professionals need a growth mindset rather than a fixed mindset. A person with a fixed mindset tends to say things like, ‘I can't do this,’ or ‘I'm not capable of that.’ A person with a growth mindset asks a different question: ‘How can I do this?’ or ‘How can I make this possible?’
I've been fortunate to have that mindset since childhood. I've always believed that if something can be done, there must be a way to learn how to do it. Even now, in what I like to call my 'third stage of life,' I continue learning every day. Since retiring, I've immersed myself in content creation, social media, and video production. Every day I learn something new. If leadership were purely an inborn trait, none of that would be possible. Leadership can absolutely be developed through learning, practice, and experience.
Another great learning experience was my fitness journey. It reinforced an important lesson: Without health and fitness, everything else becomes far more difficult. That's another message I would emphasize. Professional success means very little if you neglect your health.
PB: Leaders in industries such as oil and gas constantly balance production targets, business pressures, and safety requirements. How can they manage all three successfully?
RA: Leadership is leadership regardless of industry. At its core, leaders operate between corporate goals on one side and employees on the other. Senior management expects results, targets, and safe operations. Employees need support, communication, and motivation. The leader's role is to bridge those two worlds.
One of the most important tools a leader has is communication. Good communication sits at the heart of everything we do. It affects careers, relationships, teamwork, and performance. A strong leader translates corporate goals into clear, meaningful objectives for employees.
One of the most powerful questions a leader can ask is: ‘How can I help you shine?’ A poor leader simply assigns tasks and deadlines. A great leader helps employees succeed while still achieving company objectives. The goal is to achieve results efficiently, safely, and without burning people out.
On the topic of safety, safety can never be compromised. Even the largest and safest organizations still experience incidents. Every loss matters. That's why leaders must consistently reinforce safety messages and make safety a non-negotiable part of the culture. I often compare it to insisting that family members wear seatbelts before a car moves. They may not always like hearing the reminder, but you repeat it because safety matters. The same principle applies in organizations.
PB: What I take from that is that when goals are clearly communicated and employees are involved in the process, leaders create an environment where safety and performance can coexist successfully.
RA: Absolutely. And don't forget consensus leadership. Get input from your team. Move beyond simply instructing people. Ask whether an approach makes sense and work on solutions together. Leading by example and involving employees in decision-making creates engagement and trust.
PB: Industries around the world are rapidly embracing AI and digital transformation. In the energy sector especially, these technologies are reshaping the way organizations operate. What changes would you make to a company's career development framework to prepare the next generation of leaders?
RA: It's remarkable that, for most people, AI has only become part of daily conversations in the last few years. Yet it has already transformed so many aspects of our lives and work. I use AI regularly and still feel that I've only scratched the surface of its capabilities. Rather than being afraid of AI, professionals should view it as a tool. In many ways, it's no different from email, Excel, or any other technology that helps us work more effectively. The difference is that AI is an exceptionally powerful tool.
A question I hear often is: 'Will AI replace me?’ My answer is simple. The people most at risk are not those using AI, but those refusing to learn it. Professionals should focus on how AI can increase the value they bring to their organizations. Imagine being able to reduce a 6-hour task to 30 minutes through the effective use of AI. In that situation, you've created value rather than becoming replaceable. The future belongs to professionals who embrace AI, learn continuously, and find ways to apply technology to improve results.
Now, regarding career development frameworks, there are three priorities I would emphasize.
First, organizations should help employees understand how different departments and functions connect to one another. One thing I observed throughout my career, particularly in large organizations, is that people often work in isolation. They understand their own role very well but have limited visibility into the broader business.
During my final assignment at Saudi Aramco, I served as one of the lead trainers at the Upstream Professional Development Center. We onboarded young graduates and helped them understand the entire upstream lifecycle. It was fascinating to see how exploration, drilling, engineering, production, and data management all fit together. I believe organizations should continuously help employees understand these interconnections across all functions, including finance, HR, upstream, and downstream operations. Most employees receive this overview only during onboarding, and then rarely revisit it.
Second, organizations need to place far greater emphasis on leadership and soft-skills development. This goes beyond sending employees to occasional training courses. Organizations should reinforce those lessons through regular follow-ups, coaching, refresher sessions, and measurement of outcomes. Training has the greatest impact when it becomes part of an ongoing development process.
Third, leaders should be encouraged to communicate consistently with their teams. Most performance-management systems rely on a few formal meetings each year, such as goal-setting discussions, mid-year reviews, and annual evaluations. While those meetings are important, the real value comes from the informal interactions between them.
The magic of leadership often happens in small moments. It might be a leader checking in with an employee, asking how they're doing, or offering sincere recognition for a job well done. A simple compliment can motivate someone for days. These regular touchpoints build trust, engagement, and stronger relationships. Leaders should also learn how to provide constructive feedback with empathy and respect. Effective feedback helps people improve without damaging their confidence or self-respect.
Those are the three areas I would focus on: cross-functional understanding, continuous leadership development, and consistent communication.
PB: You've spent decades learning, reading, mentoring, and creating content. Continuous learning is essential for professional growth. Are there any books, platforms, or resources you recommend to help professionals develop their behavioral, leadership, and soft skills?
RA: Professionals today are incredibly fortunate because they have access to more learning resources than any previous generation. Years ago, I used to tell my children how lucky they were to have Google. Then AI arrived and expanded those possibilities even further. Today, you can learn almost anything if you're willing to invest the time.
If I had to recommend one book that had a profound impact on my life, it would be The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson. That book completely changed the way I think about personal development. Its central message is simple but powerful: make small improvements consistently over time. We live in a world that encourages instant gratification. People want immediate results, whether that's career success, financial growth, or fitness transformations. But sustainable success rarely happens that way.
What The Slight Edge taught me was the power of small daily actions performed consistently. In fact, many of the principles from that book helped me completely transform my own health and fitness journey and lose 30 kilograms. It's an easy book to read, but I always recommend reading it slowly. Take one chapter at a time, reflect on it, and apply its lessons before moving forward. Every time I revisit the book, I discover something new.
Beyond books, YouTube remains an exceptional learning platform. If you want to become a better presenter, watch TED and TEDx talks. If you want to improve leadership skills, find experts who have already achieved what you're aiming for and learn from them. Presentation skills deserve special attention because they are among the most valuable skills any professional can develop. Communication and presentation skills are related, but they are not the same. Communication happens every day. Presentation skills require you to engage and influence an audience when you're standing in front of a group.
I've delivered thousands of presentations throughout my career and learned through experience. One lesson I've learned is that there is no such thing as failure in presentations. There are only success and learning. Every presentation teaches you something, even when it doesn't go perfectly. So whenever you're given an opportunity to present, take it. Don't wait until you feel completely ready. Growth comes through practice.
My top recommendations would be:
- The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson
- YouTube and high-quality presentation content such as TED Talks
- AI-powered learning tools
I would also like to mention my own learning community, Learn to Achieve, which is completely free. We've built a global learning environment with members from many countries, including India. It's something I'm very proud of and would be delighted for your readers to explore.
PB: I would also like to ask about the importance of professional organizations such as SPE which foster young professionals with immense knowledge and updates. These platforms provide opportunities to share innovations and learn from others. How can young professionals fully utilize these opportunities?
RA: I'm very familiar with both SPE and International Petroleum Technology Conference (IPTC). I've had the privilege of speaking at IPTC in Saudi Arabia. Those events were outstanding experiences because they brought together talented professionals from around the world. I also regularly attend SPE events and have been invited to conduct a seminar for SPE Saudi Arabia on presentation skills. These opportunities allow professionals to learn, network, and grow together.
To answer your question, I often refer to the well-known 70-20-10 learning model.
According to this model:
- 10% of learning comes from formal education and training.
- 20% comes from interactions with other people through mentoring, networking, and observation.
- 70% comes from practical experience and applying what you've learned on the job.
The same principle applies to professional organizations like SPE. Many professionals join these organizations but don't actively participate. The real value comes from attending events, networking with peers, asking thoughtful questions, learning from experienced professionals, and contributing to discussions. At a conference, you might meet someone who is ten years ahead of you in their career. That's an invaluable opportunity to gain insights and learn from their experiences.
Young professionals should view these platforms as active learning environments rather than simply memberships. Opportunities often come through connections, conversations, and personal initiative.
PB: We've discussed careers, leadership, learning, AI, professional organizations, and personal growth. To conclude, what advice would you give young professionals who want to build meaningful careers and leave a lasting legacy?
RA: That's a powerful question. One thing I've observed throughout my life is that we often live under tremendous pressure. Society, parents, educational systems, and workplaces all create expectations. We're encouraged to pursue achievements, promotions, titles, and positions. While ambition is important, we sometimes forget that life is much bigger than our job. A job is only one part of who you are. You may be a son, daughter, brother, sister, parent, friend, mentor, or community member. Those roles matter as well. I encourage young professionals to adopt a more holistic view of life.
Learn to switch off from work occasionally. Develop hobbies. Spend time outdoors. Take care of your mental health. Create space to reflect and recharge. No amount of money and no leadership position is worth sacrificing your health.
The legacy I hope to leave behind is that I helped people become the best versions of themselves. I want people to succeed without burning out. That means building valuable skills, contributing meaningfully to your organization, and pursuing excellence while maintaining balance. Work-life balance isn't always easy. Throughout my career there were times when I managed it well and times when I didn't. But I learned early that long-term success requires balance.
If you can build a successful career while protecting your physical and mental well-being, you've achieved something truly meaningful.
