The SEWA Brand Turnaround and Rejuvenation

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📘 Book Summary

The SEWA Brand Turnaround & Rejuvenation is an in-depth narrative of how Dr. Rashid Alleem transformed SEWA (Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority) from a financially troubled, poorly performing entity into a globally respected, customer-centric, and sustainable brand. It’s both a leadership memoir and a strategic guide.

🔑 Core Objectives of the Book

  • Showcase a real-world example of organizational turnaround.
  • Share the leadership philosophy behind the transformation.
  • Provide a framework and nine-stage strategy for brand rejuvenation.
  • Offer a detailed account of SEWA’s internal cultural, operational, and customer-facing revamp.

🌀 The 9 Stages of SEWA Brand Turnaround Strategy

  1. Fight for Survival – Stabilizing finances, addressing operational chaos, building internal confidence.
  2. Passion to Win – Infusing motivation and competitive spirit across all levels.
  3. Creating a Marketing Plan – Aligning brand messaging with public expectations and service quality.
  4. Brand Leadership – Leading with clarity, commitment, and values.
  5. A Balanced View of Results – Using tools like the Balanced Scorecard to track multi-dimensional success.
  6. Fostering Creativity and Innovation – Encouraging out-of-the-box thinking to improve services and operations.
  7. Collaboration and Co-Creation – Engaging stakeholders and customers in shaping the brand.
  8. The Green Giant – Embedding sustainability into the brand’s DNA.
  9. Becoming a Customer-Centric Organization – Re-engineering services and policies around customer experience.

🧠 Key Concepts and Tools

  • The SEWA Way: 15 Winning Principles – Core values like “Smile,” “Simplicity,” “Synergy,” and “Sustainability.”
  • Marketing Reformation – Building a proper marketing team and discarding outdated practices.
  • Cost Rationalization – Applying tools like Zero-Based Budgeting and Portfolio Rationalization.
  • Leadership Model – “BOT Leader” (Build, Operate, Transform) and the 7 Es of Leadership:
    • Energy, Energize, Edge, Execution, Effectiveness, Efficiency, Excellence.

❤️ Leadership Style

Dr. Alleem’s leadership is grounded in:

  • Transformational Leadership
  • Conscious Leadership
  • Mindfulness
  • Customer-centric decision-making
  • Leading by example and through personal conviction

🌱 Cultural Shift and Sustainability

  • SEWA’s transformation was not just structural but cultural.
  • Aimed at building a smiling organization — internally happy employees and externally delighted customers.
  • Pioneered green strategies and sustainable thinking in the public utility sector.

📣 Final Takeaway

The book emphasizes that true transformation starts with internal rewiring — of people, processes, and purpose. It offers a replicable framework for other organizations to follow, led by integrity, innovation, and a deep commitment to community service.

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