Minara — Leadership Development

Leadership
Presence

Your team knows when you are truly with them and when you are going through the motions. In high-pressure environments, the quality of a leader's attention is the single biggest factor in whether people stay, speak up, or shut down.

Leadership Presence is a practical programme that builds one essential capability: being fully present for the people who depend on you, especially when it matters most.

The Approach

Three moves. One practice.

Most managers know they should listen more. Few have been taught how. Leadership Presence is built on a simple model that works in any high-stakes conversation.

1
Prepare
Before you walk into the conversation, regulate yourself first. Put the phone down. Check your own emotional state. Decide that you are there to listen, not to fix.
2
Be Present
Full attention on the other person. Listen for what they are actually saying, not what you expect to hear. Watch body language, tone, energy. Do not jump to solutions.
3
Respond
Only after you have truly heard them, respond. Sometimes the most powerful response is simply: "I hear you. I do not have all the answers, but I am here."

This level of focus does not happen by itself under pressure. It requires deliberate preparation and practice.

Three Formats

Choose the depth your team needs

Each format delivers the same core practice at a different level of depth. Start where it makes sense for your organisation.

Group
The Group Session
A keynote or interactive workshop for leadership teams. You will leave with a shared understanding of what presence looks like in practice, and five specific actions to use in your next conversation.
30 or 60 minutes
10 to 200 participants
Online or in-person
Keynote or interactive workshop
AED 5,000 – 8,000
Per session
Small Cohort
The Manager Circle
A small-group session where 3–4 managers practise the conversations that matter most. You bring a real situation from your team. You rehearse the conversation. You leave with a specific plan for what to do next.
90 minutes
3–4 managers
Online
Pre-work required
AED 3,500
Per session
One-on-One
1:1 Leader Reset
A private session for a leader with a specific situation to work through. A team member who has gone quiet. A conversation you have been avoiding. We work through it together, practise the conversation, and plan your next move.
60 minutes
One-on-one
Online
Follow-up sessions available
AED 1,500
Per session
Who This Is For

Leaders who want to be better at the conversations that matter

Senior Leaders
Who want their management teams equipped to handle difficult conversations with confidence and care.
Line Managers
Who sense that something is off with their team but are not sure how to start the conversation.
HR Directors
Looking for practical leadership development that builds real capability, not just awareness.
Team Leads
Managing diverse, multicultural teams where different people process pressure in different ways.
Your Facilitator

Tommi Raitio

Practitioner, not theorist

Tommi brings 12 years of military leadership and 26 years of senior corporate experience at Intel and Nokia to every session. He has led teams through high-pressure situations where presence was not optional. It was the difference between a team that holds together and one that falls apart.

He is a certified practitioner across four globally recognised leadership methodologies (Birkman, Korn Ferry 360, Working Genius, Lencioni) and has been based in the UAE since 2012. He understands the dynamics of leading diverse, multinational teams in this region.

His approach is direct, practical, and grounded in what actually works when the pressure is real.

12 Years Military Leadership Intel & Nokia Birkman Certified Korn Ferry 360 Based in UAE Since 2012

Ready to start?

Most sessions can be scheduled within a week. Tell me what your team needs and I will recommend the right format.

Get in Touch
info@minaralearn.com
© 2026 Minara. Dubai, UAE.