Change Leadership, General Manager PFA @ Batgroup & Member of the Board @ Putzfrauenagentur

Leadership isn’t about volume.
It’s about clarity, confidence and direction when the pressure is on.

I partner with HR leaders, GMs and Executive Teams across MENA & Asia to strengthen leadership capability from the ground up. My work sits where strategy, people and day-to-day execution meet in service-driven organisations.

Most performance issues in hospitality, retail and education aren’t about effort.
They come from three gaps:

❌ Leaders promoted before they’re ready to lead
❌ Executive Teams pulling in different directions
❌ No clear pipeline or succession to stabilise performance

So my work covers both sides of the leadership equation:

Strategy & alignment for senior teams
Facilitated Strategy Days that help GMs and Executive Teams:
✅ Agree a small set of must-win priorities
✅ Translate those into a 90-day execution plan
✅ Build the clarity and focus teams need to perform
✅ Name the leadership behaviours that sustain results

Leadership development for emerging & mid-level managers
Practical, human-centred programmes that build the skills to lead through others, communicate with clarity and coach across cultures.

Coaching & capability building
1:1 and group coaching, Train-the-Trainer, and tailored L&D that strengthen the pipeline and reduce turnover.

Across 25+ years with Apple Retail, Swissôtel, St. Regis and service organisations in Europe, the Middle East and Asia, one truth holds: engagement and commercial performance rise when leaders at every level know where they’re going and how to bring their people with them.

If you’re building your leadership pipeline or want stronger alignment at the top, I’m happy to explore how we can work together.

📞 Book a call: https://cal.com/jeffross

Jeff Ross

I’ve been quiet on LinkedIn for a few weeks.
Intentionally.

The end of 2025, especially early Q4, was demanding. Not just professionally, but mentally and emotionally too. So I chose to step back, spend time with family, and create some much-needed white space.

Here’s the thing we don’t talk about enough in leadership:

Growth doesn’t only happen in motion.
Sometimes it happens in pause.

Over the break, I did what I often encourage leaders to do, though many struggle to make time for:
• Reflect honestly on what worked (and what didn’t)
• Revisit priorities instead of blindly setting new goals
• Notice patterns in my own behaviour under pressure
• Ask better questions, rather than rushing to better answers

Self-awareness isn’t built in the middle of constant execution.
It’s built in moments of distance.

The leaders I see grow the most aren’t the ones who push hardest every quarter.
They’re the ones who regularly step back, recalibrate, and return with more clarity than noise.

As we step into 2026, my focus is simple:
Fewer reactions.
Clearer priorities.
More intentional leadership, starting with myself.

If you haven’t created space to reflect yet, consider this your reminder:
White space isn’t time lost.
It’s leadership work.

Here’s to a more conscious, grounded, and human year ahead.

Helping service brands align strategy, strengthen pipelines and deliver consistent performance | Strategy Days, L&D and coaching | MENA and Asia

People are not “human capital”.
And they are not “assets” either.

I keep seeing employees described this way in leadership, L&D, and wellbeing content.

I understand the origin of the term.
Historically, human capital described skills and capabilities built through investment, not the people themselves.

But the distinction has blurred.

Here is the line I think we need to redraw.

❌ People are not capital
❌ People are not assets

They are human beings who choose, every day, how much energy and judgement they bring to work.

Human capital is what grows through investment
Skills. Confidence. Capability. Leadership depth.

That growth comes from:
✅ training done properly, not tick-box
✅ coaching that changes behaviour
✅ managers who develop people, not just measure them
✅ time and safety to learn, practise, and think

That is where human capital lives.

Language shapes decisions.
Decisions shape culture.

If we want more human leadership, we should start by speaking like humans, not balance sheets.

Calling people “human capital” is already the problem.

If people are capital, then what are they?

Owned?
Optimised?
Written off when returns dip?

No serious leader believes this.
Yet the language sticks.

Here is a cleaner distinction.

People are not human capital.
People are not assets.

Human capital is the outcome of investment, not the object of it.

You build it when you:
✅ develop managers instead of promoting the best technician
✅ coach leaders instead of just reviewing them
✅ invest in learning instead of squeezing efficiency
✅ play the long game, not just the quarter

Strong organisations do not extract value from people.

They create conditions where capability compounds.

If your culture talks about people like inventory,
do not be surprised when engagement feels transactional.

Words are never “just semantics”.
They are shortcuts to how decisions get justified.

In fast growing organisations across the UAE, managers are often promoted quickly to keep pace with expansion.

What usually does not scale at the same speed is leadership capability.

New managers are suddenly expected to lead multicultural teams, absorb pressure from both sides, and deliver consistency under operational intensity.

With little preparation.

When that happens, managers compensate.

➡️ They over control.
➡️ They escalate everything.
➡️ They work longer hours instead of building capability.

❌ This is not a motivation issue.
❌ It is not a generational issue.
✅ It is a pipeline design issue.

Growth without leadership infrastructure creates silent pressure in the middle.
And silent pressure always leaks somewhere.

If you want scale without burnout, development cannot be assumed.
It has to be designed.

In the UAE and GCC, managers are expected to be decisive, inclusive, and steady, all at once.

When we don’t develop them for that reality,
pressure doesn’t disappear.

It concentrates.

Promoted for doing the job.
Stuck because you are still doing it.

The peer to manager transition is not a mindset problem.
It is a capacity design problem.

If nothing changes in how time, decisions, and responsibility are allocated, leadership never starts.

What I have seen work repeatedly is simple and structured:

✅ 30 percent doing the old tasks to stabilise
✅ 30 percent pairing and teaching to hand over
✅ 40 percent coaching, prioritising, removing blockers

For the first 60 days.

One rule makes or breaks it.
The handover must be scheduled.

If it stays informal, it does not happen.
Urgency will always win.

A promotion does not create leadership.
The moment you stop being the bottleneck does.

Question worth answering this week:
Which task will you stop doing by Friday, and who will learn it instead?

Training the peer-to-manager transition muscle

If a manager is still doing most of the work, you have not promoted a leader.
You have relabelled a high performer.

Leadership starts when decisions move down, accountability stays up, and capability is built deliberately.

Without that shift, organisations stay dependent on individuals instead of systems.

This is why middle management feels stretched in so many businesses.
The role changes, but the expectations do not.

❌ Titles do not create leverage.
✅ Design does.

✅ When leadership transitions are supported early, pressure reduces later.
❌ When they are ignored, problems surface quietly and expensively.

The question is not whether someone earned the promotion.
The question is whether the system changed enough to let them lead.

Coming up on one year since we moved back to the UAE.

So much has changed since we lived here nearly two decades ago, and a lot of that change has been really good.

I’ve seen owners of large companies walk the floor, greet employees by name, ask about their families, and mean it.

And then I’ve seen something else, in the same companies:
Middle managers who abuse power over the people under their care.

Not always loudly.
Sometimes it’s subtle:

❌ public shaming disguised as ‘standards’
❌ threats disguised as ‘performance’
❌ pressure passed down because ‘that’s how we do things here’

Here’s the part leaders don’t want to hear:

Culture doesn’t scale through the founder’s intent.
It scales through the manager’s habits.

And the numbers in MENA should make every owner pause:

Only 14% of employees are engaged, while 24% are actively disengaged.

46% are watching for or actively seeking a new job.

31% experienced anger ‘a lot of the day’ yesterday.

Only 25% are ‘thriving’ in life evaluation.

You can invest millions in brand, strategy, and service standards…

…but if a middle manager creates fear, distrust, and turnover, your business pays for it twice:

in retention + recruiting costs
in inconsistent service + customer experience

Gallup has a brutal line leaders should sit with:

Managers drive most of the variance in team engagement.

So the fix isn’t ‘hire faster’ when people resign.
The fix is slow down and build the capability that prevents the resignations in the first place:

✅ Train new managers before they ‘learn leadership’ by copying the worst examples.
✅ Coach existing managers on how to lead under pressure (without leaking it onto their teams).
✅ Make people metrics visible at leadership level (turnover, internal mobility, manager 360s, team climate).
Reward leaders who build trust, not just those who hit numbers.

Because in this region, trust is everything.

And owners should be able to trust their management teams to execute the vision, for the business and for the people.

Question for leaders in the Gulf:
Where is your culture breaking, in strategy, or in the middle layer where it gets executed?

In fast-growing organisations across the UAE and GCC, leadership gaps rarely show up at the top.
They show up in the middle.

High-performing specialists are promoted quickly to keep pace with growth.
Suddenly they’re expected to:

➡️ lead multicultural teams
➡️ balance global standards with local realities
➡️ deliver consistency under constant operational pressure

Without a leadership pipeline, this becomes improvisation.

That is not a talent issue.
It’s a development design issue.

Organisations that scale sustainably here invest early in:

✅ leadership transitions, not just promotions
✅ manager development as ongoing infrastructure
✅ clarity, coaching, and judgement, not just skills

Middle management doesn’t fail loudly in this region.

It absorbs pressure quietly, until it can’t.

Many first time managers say the same thing, quietly.
“I do not want to get this wrong.”

So they hold on longer than they should.
They delay delegation.
They avoid conversations they know are coming.

Not because they lack confidence.
Because they lack support.

Leading former peers, older colleagues, or more experienced team members carries real emotional weight.

When organisations treat new managers as finished products, people protect themselves.
When they treat them as learners, behaviour changes.

❌ Confidence does not come from the title.
✅ It comes from practising leadership with permission to learn.

If you want managers who act calmly under pressure, give them room to build judgement before you test it.

Office of Labor, Canton of Zurich

- Individual coaching of (highly) qualified specialists and managers 45plus looking for a job
- Promotion of employability and personal application skills 
- Interview training and presentation skills 
- Strengthening resources 
- Positioning and location determination (where do I stand? Where do I want to go?)

Work integration coach - target group Highly qualified people, specialists and managers

Direktion der Justiz und des Innern Kanton Zürich

In diesem Forschungsprojekt geht es im aktuellen Pilotversuch darum, Menschen in Untersuchungshaft unter Berrücksichtigung der entsprechenden Rahmenbedingungen dahingehend zu trainieren und zu unterstützen, dass sie den haftbedingten Stress möglichst gut verarbeiten können.

PRISMA-Trainerin für Menschen in Untersuchungshaft (auf Abruf, Teilzeit nach Bedarf)

Get Inspired

Meine Beratungsdienstleistung ist darauf fokussiert Menschen zu inspirieren und ihnen in Coachings oder Trainings entsprechende Methoden und Prozesse mitzugeben. Oftmals sind wenige Schritte oder ein kleiner Perspektivenwechsel ausreichend, um agiler, motivierter und stressresistenter zu werden und dadurch "mehr" vom Leben zu haben. Durch ein aktivierendes Gespräch kann sofort ist ein Unterschied erkennbar und noch wichtiger - erlebbar werden.
Bei einem Coaching oder Training bei Get Inspired, lernen Sie, wie wichtig Ihre Haltung ist, wie Sie diese positiv steuern können und damit leichter an Ihr Lebens- und/oder Berufs-Ziel gelangen.

InnoPark Schweiz AG

Leitung des Standortes Zürich. Ansprechpartnerin für Menschen auf Stellensuche sowie für diverse Ämter (RAV, ALK, LAM, QuS, IV, Sozialdienste etc.). Beratung bei Fragestellungen im Rahmen der Arbeitssuche und gegebenenfalls Umorientierung sowie der Auswahl von Weiterbildungen. Zusammenarbeit mit internen ExpertInnen sowie oben erwähnten Ämtern.

Standortleiterin & Coach Zentrum Zürich

• Beratung von Menschen bei beruflichen und persönlichen Fragestellungen bzw. Herausforderungen
• Business Management und aktive Unterstützung der Geschäftsführung; Evaluierung und Optimierung von Prozessen, Erstellung von Berichten und Statistiken
• Koordination interner Projekte und Kommunikation mit Center Manger in 8 Standorten
• Recruiting...
• ...and a lot more interesting challenges!

Coach / Business Management

Credit Suisse

•	Erste Anlaufstelle für Anfragen von Mitarbeitenden, Triagierung an Personalkommission, Human Resources und andere Fachstellen
•	Support der 35 Delegierten schweizweit bei ihrer politischen Arbeit als Arbeitnehmervertretung und bei der Publikation von Informationen (Deutsch, Französisch, Italienisch und Englisch)
•	Erstellung, Organisation, Verwaltung und Verrechnung der ca. 500 Mitarbeitervergünstigungen sowie einer bunten Palette an kulturellen und sportlichen Events für die Mitarbeitenden in der Schweiz
•	Mitglied der Redaktionsleitung und Mitarbeit Kommunikationsstrategie sowie Webauftritt
•	Kostenstellenmanagement, Budgetverwaltung, Forecast, Spesenabrechnungen und Mehrwertsteuerabrechungen
•	2018: Organisation, Durchführung und Kontrolle der Wahlen der Arbeitnehmervertretung für 17‘000 Wahlberechtigte
•	Modernisierung und Evaluierung der Digitalisierung von Prozessen

Leitung Business Management der Personalkommission, 4 Mitarbeitende

• Jobportal-Verantwortliche (Websites) für die Nutzung von Rekrutierungen aus dem universitären Umfeld inklusive Vertragsverhandlungen, Kostenmanagement und Strategieplanung
• Schnittstellenbetreuung zwischen Service Center, Campus Recruiting und Universitäten
• Aktualisierung von diversen internen Prozessen
• Koordination, Vernetzung, Beratung und Unterstützung bei Intranet-Auftritten im Bereich Young Talents
• Updates und Bewirtschaftung diverser Datenbanken und Tools im Bereich HR und speziell Campus
• Reportings und Präsentationen für die Linie
• Management Support (Planung und Organisationn von Meetings und Events), z.T. Quality Management
• Mitarbeit in diversen Prozessen und Projekten

HR Coordinator & Business Services Manager im Bereich Campus Recruiting/Young Talents

proBIP, Berufsintegrationsprogramm für Jugendliche und Erwachsene

• Leitung der allgemeine Administration: Verwaltung Datenbanken, Dokumentenmanagement, Verrechnung an Praktikumsbetriebe, Implementierung betriebsweites elektronisches Agendamanagement (Outlook)
• Leitung Schuladminstration: Erstellung von Zeugnissen, Ausarbeitung von Verträgen zwischen den verschiedenen Vertragspartnern, Controlling von Einsatzplanungen zwischen Praktikanten und Praktikumsbetrieb
• Optimierung von Prozessen in der Administration, Ablagesystem des Materials für den Schulbetrieb etc
• Zusammenarbeit mit Arbeitsämtern, Arbeitslosenkassen (ALK) und Amt für Wirtschaft und Arbeit (AWA)
• Berufsbildnerin einer KV Lernenden

Teamleitung Schuladministration, 2-3 Mitarbeitende

IBV Hüsler AG, Ingenieurbüro für Verkehrsplanung

• Reorganisation der Administration: Optimierung vorhandener und Einführung neuer Prozesse
• Personalwesen: Vertragsmanagement der Mitarbeitenden inkl. AHV, Pensionskasse, Versicherungen etc.
• Projektmanagement: Budgeteinhaltung, Kostenmanagement, Stunden- und Einsatzplanung, Rechnungslegung, generelles Controlling
• Erste Kontaktstelle des Unternehmens für nationale und internationale Kundschaft wie Ämter, Gemeinden, Provinzen, Städteplaner, Verkehrsverbund Zürich etc.
• Buchhaltung inkl. vorbereitende Arbeiten für Jahresabschluss

Leitung Administration / Finanzen / Controlling

• Teamassistenz: Kostenstellenmanagement, Monatsabschlüsse, Controlling Budget, Schnittstellenmanagement
• Fachstellen-Support: Aufbereitung Schulungsunterlagen und Prästentationen, Koordination von Übersetzungen, Proofreading, Faciltity Management für Meetings und Schulungen
• Intranet-Management
• Projektmitarbeit im Senior Talent Review
• Umzugsverantwortliche

Managementsupport

Global Petroprojects Services AG

• Identifikation von Key-Resources (global) in Zusammenarbeit mit div. Fachbereichsmanagern
• Jährliche Leistungsbeurteilungen inkl. Auftragserteilung, Support und Kontrolle der Key-Resources
• Definition von Trainingsplänen in Zusammenarbeit mit div. Fachbereichsmanagern
• Systemtechnische Verbuchung und Kontrolle von internationalen Trainings
• Organisation von Internationalen Assessment-Centers (ACs) in Zürich
• Vermittlung von Informationen bezüglich Keyresources-Projekt an Rekrutierungsabteilungen in Zürich
• Hauptsprachen: Italienisch und Englisch

Head of Training & Development / Key Resources

KRAUTHAMMER INTERNATIONAL SERVICES

• Planung, Organisation, Verrechnung und Evaluation von Trainings
• Support zweier Training Consultants/Partners

Management Assistant

Do you sometimes feel like you could get more out of your career and life but don’t know how?

Bring MORE OF YOURSELF into your life – I will show you how, based on neuroscientific insights!

→ For individual clients:
Imagine being able to realize your personal dreams, not only in your private life but also in your professional life. How would it feel to start each day with motivation and joy? Using proven methods based on neuroscience and positive psychology studies, I help you bring your visions to life – in both your career and your everyday life.

→ For companies:
Give your employees the opportunity to unlock their individual strengths and resources. The result? A motivated, engaged, and agile team that tackles challenges with greater ease. I help you unleash this potential.

My services include:
• Individual coaching for personal development and conscious career planning
• Training on topics such as resilience, motivation, and agility
• Workshops to enhance mental strength and activate resources
You can find more details under my services.

It’s easier than you think – and scientifically proven!

INSPIRATION – MOTIVATION – HUMANITY are the key themes of my work. Inspired people (and employees) experience more joy in their work and life. They want to contribute, are intrinsically motivated, more agile, and have more energy. Women and men who know their inner values and unique resources and competencies respond more flexibly to demands and change.

In my trainings and consultations, I place great emphasis on recognizing the existing resources of my clients and fostering them with scientifically validated approaches. Together, we develop strategies to integrate these resources more fully into both their professional and personal lives – based on insights from neuroscience and positive psychology.

If you’re ready to get more out of yourself or your company, let’s take the first step. Send me a message and find out how you can actively integrate your dreams and resources into your life and work!

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The Battle

Jeff Ross

Ursula Santner

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The Battle

Jeff Ross

Ursula Santner

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Jeff Ross's LinkedIn Performance

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