Hassan Younes & Sarifa Alonto-Younes

POWERHOUSE GLOBAL MAGAZINE (PGMAG) INTERVIEW WITH:

HASSAN YOUNES (HY) AND SARIFA ALONTO-YOUNES (SAY)

PGMAG: So good to have the two of you on today’s interview with Lady Anita.

HY: Thank you for the opportunity to be in this interview. It’s a pleasure to be here.

SAY: Thank you for the privilege, Lady Anita.

PGMAG: You are a dual force in the world of business and education, and so many people have benefited from your services; how do the both of you manage to work so well together?

HY: I always believe that the best partnership in any business arrangement is between husband and wife. As husband and wife, we both have the same goals and visions for our future and for our children.

We are blessed as a couple as we share the same values and ambitions. This makes it very easy and comfortable to work with one another as husband and wife in our businesses.

Even if we have the strongest disagreements in terms of business decisions, we always manage to come to a common ground and make the right decision. Of course, we believe that love plays a major role in any relationship.

SAY:

The best partners in business are husband and wife. I am comfortable and enjoy working together with my husband. We are both passionate with what we do together. We share the same values, vision and dreams and we complement with each other.

We are both fortunate to have each other as we not only husband and wife but a partner in business, decision making, education and to name but a few. There are areas that my husband is good at and some areas that I wecomplement r I am excelling I do them and I leave the rest to my husband. Worse scenario, we hire someone to do things we are not good at so we don’t waste our time and energy. Likewise, we support and nurture each other. My husband is always my biggest supporter in whatever I do.

PGMAG: Hassan, you have an interesting background (aerospace engineering). How were you able to marry your experiences as an aerospace engineer into building global successful businesses?

HY: As an Aerospace engineer, we have to work and perform at the highest professional level on all scopes of our role. Whether it’s in meetings, engineering analysis, presentations, reporting or just simply analysing certain situations. Also being elevated to Project Manager in my engineering role, gave me the additional managerial skills and expertise to commence or star-tup our first business. So, when I started the setup of our business I was able to develop and produce an extremely accurate and factual business plans and feasibility studies that presented precise scenario of the proposed business as an ongoing concern.

Being an engineer with an analytical mind has assisted me in developing all of our business using accurate and precise business plans, cash flow projections and marketing analysis. I believe this is probably the secret to the successes of all our business in Australia and overseas.

PGMAG: Sarifa, you are a leading leader in the educational industry, and you have successfully brought positive change in the lives of so many around the world. As someone who is passionate about women empowerment, what are some of the steps women needed to take in order to become part of the decision makers in the world?

SAY:

We, women, must realise our true potential that is within us. We will face obstacles and challenges along the way. Toxic relationships, poverty, lack of education, financial hardship and even orphanage. But it is our decision to change our destination.

I have delved deeper in my Amazon #1 Best-Selling book, Love Your Obstacles, this topic. Also my book on leadership is about to be released this year where I write in details the steps women needed to take in order to be part of the decision makers in the world.

For me, to become part of the decision makers in the world it is very important to recognise our potentials and abilities as female leaders. Some steps are: 1. Being ambitious 2. Having a right mindset 3. Self-belief and 4. Right attitude.

PGMAG: Please tell us about your upcoming events.

HY & SAY: We have few events coming on small and large scale. Our big project that we have coming up in 2021 is the “Authors Book Launch & Expo 2021” which is being held on 1 & 2 October.

We are planning this event to be a hybrid event and streamed live on multiple media platforms. It will be an event of celebration, sharing and learning. We are also hosting a Gala awards night on the second day with many industry awards and door prizes from our sponsors. This event will be one of its kind. We have authors from Australia, USA, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia joining us in launching their books on stage. This is an event for all authors from across the globe. Of course, we have our website that everyone can refer to for more information: authorexpo.com.au

PGMAG: How can one become a transformational leader?

HY: In my keynotes and executive training that I deliver I always talk about the ten characteristics of a transformational leader. These characteristics can be acquired or learned in one’s journey in becoming a transformational leader.

1. Competency: A person can not lead if he or she lacks the competency to influence others.

2. Visionary: In. general terms, we are indirective if we do not possess a vision or purpose.

3. Charisma: Charisma plays a major role in being able to transform followers.

4. Effective Communicator

& Listener: We all know how important effective and clear communication in any relationship.

5. Aspirational & Inspirational person: We cannot transform ourselves or transform our team if we are not.

6. A Risk taker:

Transformation requires and involves risk at all times. If we are not risk takers or are afraid of taking risks, then we would not able to explore our opportunities and therefore remain in our normal state.

7. An Innovator.

8. Decisive Decision Maker.

9. An Advocator: This is a characteristic that is most important. Advocating and encouraging ourselves as well as our team to progress, develop and change. 10. A Challenger: We need to constantly challenge ourselves about finding a better way, easier way. What is new and what can be acquired or learned.

Being a transformational leader is about transforming ourselves as leaders as well as our team.

SAY: One can become a transformational leader when you lead by example and create an inspiring vision. Be inspired so you can be an inspiration to others.

The future of leadership is in our hand. We give birth, raise, nurture, educate, and inspire future leaders regardless of gender. We are all leaders. Some of us are naturally born leaders while others acquire the leadership skill as they walk through their journey. We pick up along the way various styles of leadership from mothers, fathers, friends, teachers, people around them and society...Thus our leadership styles vary.

We need more women leaders in the future more than ever. As modern technologies are overtaking human powers, some of us are becoming obsolete. But emotionalintelligence and other soft skills can never become obsolete.

That’s when we require Transformational leaders who could serve as an equilibrium to balance between technologies and human powers. Research indicates that most women are transformational leaders. It is in our innate the nature of caring, compassionate and nurturing.

PGMAG: Hassan, please share your views on the danger of being complacent as a business owner.

HY: In 1997, I graduated with an honours degree in Aerospace engineering from RMIT University. I secured an excellent career with the Australian Department of defence then went on to become a project Manager with Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Sounds astronomical, right? But financially, it was not. With a young family to support at that time, we were struggling to make ends meet. I wanted to achieve financial freedom and flexibility for my family, but also I wanted to become an “Entrepreneur”, actually I wanted to become an “entrepreneur” way before it was cool to be an “Entrepreneur”.

So, I did the obvious, I established multiple successful businesses including a childcare centre, three travel agency, a registered training organisation, an international school in the Philippines and other businesses.

PGMAG: Considering the current global challenge (covid-19), what are some of the steps needed to stay relevant in the marketplace?

HY: From my personal perspective, to stay relevant in the market place we need to constantly upgrade our knowledge & skills and always plan ahead of our current time. We need to constantly forecast how our industry is being shaped. We need to constantly understand the pain points of the clients or the market itself. So in simple steps I would always say: 1 – Elevate your knowledge through new learning 2- Upgrade your thoughts through reading and research 3 – Acquire best practices from expert thought leaders

SAY: When we encounter inevitable obstacles, our mobility is impacted and can be impaired to a certain degree, thus we may need to learn to adapt to various situations. For instance, the obstacle of the COVID-19 pandemic forced everyone to social lockdown for safety and wellbeing which hinders our physical mobility that evokes mental or cognitive flexibility, honing our social networking, financial or business transactions and marketing through digital platform. I talked about this chapter in Mobility Moves Minds which I am a co-author.

PGMAG: What are your messages for World Leaders?

HY: My message to world leaders is do not let success go to your head. It starts so slowly that it’s hard to notice, but success can change anyone from good to bad.

The first step is to be aware of it and not let success go to your head and ruin your leadership style, your global political relationships and the entire government agencies.

As a global world leader, it is so easy to become complacent when you achieve your goals successively and successfully. But it’s also extremely dangerous. That trait could ruin your political relationships, your political career or profession, and you may not even be able to see yourself clearly. In plain English to world leaders who may read this be aware of complacency as a world leader. It is simple Complacency kills™.

SAY: Quality education is the solution for social, political and economic challenges globally. Today, the world demands moments where the power of women’s leadership must be acknowledged. Women must be educated and recognised to illuminate the world in their unique way. We all have the responsibility and the capacity to stand in our power, embrace our vulnerabilities and amplify our strengths in our approach to empower future generations of women through education.

PGMAG: Finally, what would you each say to your younger selves?

HY: My message to my younger self is this: “Stay on track you will achieve all your goals and become a highly successful global personality and influencer”

SAY: You are born with a purpose and to serve humanity.

PGMAG: It has been an absolute pleasure to have interviewed both of you today - thank you!

HY: Thank you Anita for the opportunity to be interviewed on this great magazine. We trust that we have provided great value and insight to your audience.

SAY: It’s an honour to be interviewed and to be sharing our journey to all of you. I hope one day that women realise how powerful we are so we no longer have to worry of women empowerment.

PGMAG: Please share your links with us.

HY: https://hassanyounes.com www.linkedin.com/in/hassanyounes

https://www.facebook.com/ official.hassanyounes

SAY: https://www.sarifayounes.com https://www.facebook.com/ sarifaalontoyounes https://www.linkedin. com/in/sarifa-alontoyounes-455060116/ https://www.youtube.com/ SarifaAlontoYounes https://www.sarifayounes.com/ blog-1 http://Authorexpo.com.au