Sawiris & Workers Dignity

By Ayman Okeil

A recent viral video featuring Egyptian businessman Naguib Sawiris has drawn my attention. In the video, Sawiris recounts his decision to dismiss a foreign managing director from one of his companies due to his refusal to apologize to a 20-long-serving cafeteria worker. Sawiris emphasized that this decision was necessary to uphold the dignity of his employees. This incident prompts us to examine with further detail the important issue of preserving worker dignity and cultivating a sense of belonging and dedication within the workforce aiming to achieve the entity’s greater objectives. Workplaces should not be driven solely by transactional benefits and governed by employer-employee contractual obligations.

This sentiment is echoed in a short story translated into Arabic, written by German author Rudolf Fischer. The story depicts a farm worker, working for a German lady, who wanted to test his worth to the employer. He feigned exhaustion and a need for rest, claiming he needed to visit his home province in Germany to recover. The owner, believing his story, granted him leave. However, instead of traveling, he confided in a friend, revealing his true motive: to gauge the owner’s loyalty and his worth to her. The worker persuaded his friend to call the farm owner, pretending to know about an illness of the current worker and to offer himself as a replacement, willing to work longer hours for less pay. To the worker’s surprise, the farm owner rejects the replacement, stating her commitment to the current employee, even during his illness, and her willingness to help him until he returns better than before. The moral of the story is that the employer’s decision was not based on pure business interests but on the inherent worth and contributions of the worker.

The stories of Engineer Sawiris and the German farm owner illustrate the essential qualities of true leadership. Chief among these is the imperative to preserve the dignity of one’s employees, stand by them when they deserve it, and foster a sense of dedication and belonging within the workforce. These examples demonstrate that no matter how strong one’s leadership abilities may be, failing to instill these principles among employees can undermine the very foundation of organizational success; which is the unwavering commitment and loyalty of your workforce. In neuroscience, there is evidence that the mistreatment of employees can significantly cost employers and impair team cognition and thinking abilities. After all, work and thought are inextricably linked; good workers usually have good thoughts, and vice versa, errors in one invariably stem from deficiencies in the other. In a nutshell, the qualities demonstrated by Sawiris and German farm owner are the essence of true leadership that makes a difference and inspires confidence.