Most people think leadership is about having the right strategy. Adil Paracha disagrees.

For him, leadership comes down to a much simpler question:
Are you actually useful?

In the latest episode of Above C-Level, the Head of Foods at Almarai joins our host, Mohammad Osama for a conversation that feels less like an interview and more like two professionals reflecting on decades of experience.
And there is history here.

More than 20 years ago, Osama started his career as Adil’s intern. Today, the story has come full circle, with Adil’s son interning at GRG. It’s a small detail, but it sets the tone for a conversation built on shared experiences, career growth, and changing perspectives on leadership.

Throughout the episode, Adil repeatedly comes back to one theme: delivery.

Not titles, or presentations, or just looking busy.
But actual results.

He shares the leadership playbook he has carried across industries, from FMCG to aesthetics and now food, and explains why many leaders spend too much time measuring outcomes and not enough time understanding what actually drives them.

It’s a perspective that aligns with findings from the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report, which highlights qualities such as adaptability, resilience, curiosity, and lifelong learning as increasingly valuable in today’s workplace. These are the same traits Adil looks for when hiring, often choosing hunger and attitude over experience alone.

That hiring philosophy will resonate with anyone who has ever reviewed a stack of CVs looking for the mythical “perfect candidate”. As Adil explains, some of the best people he has hired didn’t tick every box on paper. They simply had the drive to figure things out.

The conversation also touches on leadership, succession planning, Gen Z, workplace culture, and the uncomfortable reality that being present at work does not necessarily mean you’re adding value.

This episode isn’t really about strategy, but about the gap between looking like a leader and actually being one.

And that’s what makes it worth watching.

Watch The Conversation Here

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