Salalah – The ‘Leadership from the Heart’ forum, organised by the Omani Society for Human Resources Management (OSHRM) in cooperation with the Ministry of Labour and the Dhofar Governor’s Office, began in Salalah on Tuesday with the participation of around 400 people.

The opening ceremony of the two-day event was held under the patronage of H H Sayyid Marwan bin Turki al Said, Governor of Dhofar, who honoured speakers and contributors.

In his address, Faisal bin Hamoud al Siyabi, CEO of OSHRM, said that as a non-profit organisation, OSHRM believes people are the most valuable capital and that investing in them is central to building the future. He noted that the forum provides a platform for experts and specialists from Oman and abroad to exchange experiences on leadership practices and institutional empowerment.

Delivering the keynote address, H H Sayyida Meyyan bint Shihab al Said presented a paper titled ‘Leadership from the Heart’, in which she outlined four pillars of authentic leadership: Self-awareness through recognising strengths; integrity by adhering to values under pressure; transparency by building trust; and empathy as a foundation of human relationships.

The forum included a dialogue session titled ‘People with Disabilities: From Integration to Effective Empowerment’, which discussed ways to strengthen participation of people with disabilities in society and various fields.

Several working papers were presented on themes such as emotional and social intelligence as tools for team empowerment and workplace harmony, motivation strategies, balanced leadership, and methods for enhancing productivity and performance.

The event focuses on leadership, institutional empowerment, inclusive work and education environments, and tools for measuring emotional and social intelligence.

Organisers said the aim is to raise awareness of the role of emotional and social intelligence in modern workplaces, encourage innovation, and support participation of all members of society.