📗 Book: The SEWA Way
Author: Dr. Rashid Alleem
Published: 2015
Focus: A leadership and transformation guide built around 15 core principles that redefined SEWA’s culture, customer experience, and organizational performance.

🌍 Purpose of the Book
This book chronicles the dramatic turnaround of the Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority (SEWA) under Dr. Alleem’s leadership. It presents 15 winning principles that foster human values, sustainable leadership, employee empowerment, and customer happiness—anchored in real-life examples and practical wisdom.

🧱 The SEWA Way – 15 Transformational Principles

1. Smile – The universal language of empathy and customer connection.

2. Teaching and Learning – Lifelong learning culture; leaders as teachers.

3. Learn from Experience – Real stories and lessons build better judgment.

4. Generate Sound Ideas – Embrace CRItRAL thinking (critical + lateral).

5. Instil Core Values – Organizational DNA grounded in ethics and trust.

6. Create Positive Emotional Energy – Uplifting workplace morale and spirit.

7. Make Tough Decisions – Leadership through resilience and clarity.

8. Motivate Through Stories – Use narratives to inspire action and vision.

9. Face Reality – Transparency and accountability in assessing challenges.

10. Use Winning KPIs – Focus on measurable impact, not vanity metrics.

11. Fuel with Creativity – Pour innovation and heart into every task.

12. Build Future Leaders – Leadership succession as a continuous process.

13. Drive Continuous Improvement – Always evolving, never stagnant.

14. Partner for Mutual Growth – Grow together with suppliers and allies.

15. Achieve Common Goals – Alignment, collaboration, shared vision.

🧠 Key Concepts and Tools

• CRItRAL Thinking – Combines critical and lateral thinking for innovation.

• SEWA Growth Cycle – A 10-part circular growth strategy powered by mission, values, and customer focus.

• Knowledge Culture – Initiatives like SEWA Reads, Knowledge Heaven, and monthly recognition for lifelong learners.

• Open-Door Leadership – From “walk-and-talk” meetings to removing office doors, fostering accessibility and engagement.

• Customer-Centric Excellence – High-touch, emotionally intelligent service backed by I.C.A.R.E. principles.

📢 Vision and Impact

• Transformation Story – From near-bankruptcy to a model of public-sector excellence in under a year.

• People-First Philosophy – Empowerment, diversity, emotional intelligence, and culture-building.

• Learning Organization – E-library, MBWA (Management by Walking Around), executive coaching, and informal knowledge sharing.

• Sustainability and Innovation – Green thinking, glocalization, and agile mindset embedded into every layer of SEWA.

🌟 Final Takeaway
The SEWA Way isn’t just a manual for utility management—it’s a manifesto for value-driven, human-centric leadership. Dr. Alleem’s principles blend empathy, ethics, strategy, and storytelling to create sustainable transformation that can be adapted across industries.