By Sanjay Raghunath, Chairman and Managing Director of Centena Group

Leadership today is being reshaped not by technology alone, but by the pace at which the world around us is changing. Conventional leadership models built on rigid hierarchies, authority, and control are no longer sufficient in an era defined by artificial intelligence, automation, and constant disruption. What organisations need now is a more human-centric model, adaptive, and grounded form of leadership.

As digital transformation accelerates, the role of a leader has fundamentally shifted from imposing authority. Leadership is no longer about issuing directions from the top; it is about guiding organisations and people through uncertainty with clarity and confidence. In an AI-driven world, effectiveness does not come from being the most technical person in the room, but from understanding how technology reshapes industries and how to integrate it responsibly to create long-term value.

The economic impact of AI is already undeniable. Reports suggest that AI could contribute up to USD 320 billion to the Middle East’s GDP by 2030, with the UAE alone expected to see an impact of nearly 14 per cent of GDPby that time. Globally,PwC estimates that AI adoption could increase global GDP by up to 15 per cent by 2035. These numbers signal more than opportunity, they signal inevitability. Leaders who cling to static models and resist change risk being overtaken as industries evolve around them.

One of the most persistent challenges in leadership today is resistance to change. When leaders rely on outdated hierarchies and familiar ways of working, organisations struggle to respond to volatility. What worked yesterday may no longer work tomorrow. Flexibility, once considered a desirable trait, has become a necessity for survival. Ignoring change is no longer an option.

At the same time, expectations of our colleagues have shifted significantly. People today seek more than compensation or career progression. They are looking for purpose, belonging, and leaders who communicate with transparency rather than authority. This shift is reinforced by the 2025 Employee Experience Trends Report, which draws on feedback from 169,000 employees. The findings show that belonging and purpose are now among the strongest drivers of engagement, while AI-related anxiety and change fatigue are growing concerns within the workforce.

These factors highlight the role of authentic human connection in leadership. One of the critical elements in this regard is emotional intelligence (EQ), which enables leaders to build trust, inspire confidence and form meaningful relationships with their teams. While data, analytics, and AI can inform better decisions, it is empathy that sustains relationships and credibility. Leaders who lack emotional awareness often appear distant, making trust difficult to establish and sustain.

In an era of advanced technologies such as AI, automation and chatbots, there is a prevailing fear about technology overtaking the human role. It is the leadership’s responsibility to instil confidence in people that technologies are designed to enhance human capability, not to diminish it. Technology must be positioned as an enabler. Even though the pace of this transformation can be exhausting, leaders must navigate this challenge with renewed energy and a clear strategy to guide their organisations.

Today, leadership that is adaptable, collaborative, and emotionally aware is proving far more effective than traditional command-and-control models. The transition is from exercising authority to creating genuine connections. Strong leaders integrate change into their strategies while keeping people at the centre of their organisations, while viewing technological innovations as a partner rather than a threat.

Investing in people is not optional, as roles continue to evolve and skill requirements change.  Our colleagues must feel valued and supported, as recognition and empathy contribute to boosting engagement and innovation. Empathic leadership helps bridge the gap between market demands and individual needs. Listening with intent, understanding context and responding with genuine concern are no longer additional qualities, they are essential leadership competencies.

The future belongs to leaders who blend clear thinking with empathy, who remain grounded in the present while envisioning bold possibilities and driving innovation forward without eroding trust. In this AI-driven age, success depends on how leaders balance innovation with trust. Leadership is neither about resisting change nor surrendering to it entirely. It is the ability to guide people through uncertainty with emotional depth and stability, recognising that true authority is not earned through control, but through the strength of human connection.

By Srijith KN

I’ve been using the Plaud Note Pro for over three months now, and this is a device that has quietly earned a permanent place in my daily life now. Let me walk you through what it does—and why I say that so?

Well at first I thought this wasn’t going to do much with my life, and by the looks of it Plaud Note Pro looks like a tiny, card-sized gadget—minimal, unobtrusive to carry it around.

With a single press of the top button, it starts recording meetings, classes, interviews, or discussions. Once you end your session, the audio is seamlessly transferred to the Plaud app on your phone, where it’s transformed into structured outputs—summaries, action lists, mind maps, and more.

In essence, it’s a capture device that takes care of one part of your work so you can concentrate on the bigger game.

Design-wise, the device feels premium, it features a small display that shows battery level, recording status, and transfer progress—just enough information without distraction. The ripple-textured finish looks elegant and feels solid, paired with a clean, responsive button. It also comes with a magnetic case that snaps securely onto the back of your phone, sitting flush and tight, making it easy to carry around without thinking twice.

Battery life is another standout. On a full charge, the Plaud Note Pro can last up to 60 days, even with frequent, long recording sessions. Charging anxiety simply doesn’t exist here.

Well, my impressions about the device changed once I had an audio captured. I tested this in a busy press conference setting—eight to ten journalists around me, multiple voices, ambient noise—and the recording came out sharp and clear. Thanks to its four-microphone array, it captures voices clearly from up to four to five meters away, isolating speech with precision and keeping voices naturally forward. This directly translates into cleaner transcripts. It supports 120 languages, and yes, I even tested transcription into Malayalam—it worked remarkably well, condensed the entire convo-interview that I had during an automotive racing show that I was into.

Real meetings or interviews are rarely happens in a neat environment, and that’s where I found the Plaud Note Pro working for me. It captures nuances and details I often miss in the moment. As a journalist, that’s invaluable. The app also allows you to add photos during recordings, enriching your notes with context and visuals.

I tested transferring files over 20 minutes long, and the process was smooth and quick. Accessing the recordings on my PC via the browser was equally intuitive—everything is easy to navigate and well laid out.

Now to what is inside this tiny recorder. Well, the core of the experience is Plaud Intelligence, the AI engine powering all Plaud note-takers. It dynamically routes tasks across OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google’s latest LLMs to deliver professional-grade results. With over 3,000 templates, AI Suggestions, and features like Ask Plaud, the system turns raw conversations into organized, searchable, and actionable insights. These capabilities are available across the Plaud App (iOS and Android) and Plaud Web.

Privacy is what I happen to see them look at seriously. All data is protected under strict compliance standards, including SOC 2, HIPAA, GDPR, and EN18031, ensuring enterprise-grade security.

What makes the AI experience truly effective is the quality of input. Unlike a phone recorder—where notifications, distractions, and inconsistent mic pickup interfere—the Plaud Note Pro does one job and does it exceptionally well. It records cleanly, consistently, and without interruption, delivering what is easily one of the smoothest recording and transcription experiences I’ve used so far.

I’m genuinely curious to see how Plaud evolves this product further. If this is where they are today, the next version should be very interesting indeed.

• Plaud Note Pro is now available for pre-order at https://uae.plaud.ai/pages/plaud-note-pro
• Plaud Note and NotePin are available at https://uae.plaud.ai

In conversation with Jason Ou, President, Hisense Middle East & Africa on regional R&D, AI-powered products, and next-generation home innovation.

Here in the interview, we take a look at the strategic role of its Dubai R&D Centre in localizing global innovation for Middle Eastern consumers, ensuring products are climate-ready, culturally relevant, and aligned with regional lifestyles.

We talk about how the company is embedding AI across TVs and home appliances to improve performance, energy efficiency, and ease of use, while reducing manual intervention.

Through Hisense we take a look at the advantages of Laser TV technology, and what Hisense is offering through its large-format, energy-efficient cinema experiences suited to our homes.

Can you start by telling us about the role of the Hisense R&D Centre in Dubai within the company’s broader innovation ecosystem?

Our Dubai R&D Centre is an essential part of how we localise global Hisense technology for the Middle East. It allows us to test products under real regional conditions, understand consumer behaviour more accurately, and adapt features or performance where needed.

The centre also helps us coordinate closely with local partners, retailers, and government entities. This ensures our innovations are not only technically strong, but also aligned with local lifestyle needs, climate demands, and regulatory standards. It strengthens the link between our international R&D network and what consumers expect from the brand here.

• Can you share examples of product tweaks or innovations that originated from local feedback? How does the R&D team ensure Hisense products meet the expectations of increasingly tech-savvy and connected households in the region?

We’ve made several practical product adjustments based on insights gathered in this market.  For example, we enhanced compressor durability and airflow design to handle prolonged periods of extreme heat, dust, and humidity. We also refined our filtration systems to better suit environments where air quality can vary throughout the year. Another important highlight is our anti-mould functionality, developed specifically for this region. During the summer months, higher levels of humidity can lead to mould formation within AC units, so we engineered a cycle that keeps internal components dry and prevents mould from growing, ensuring cleaner air and improved long-term performance. Additionally, we’ve optimised cooling performance to ensure faster temperature recovery, which is a key priority for consumers in this climate.

From a smart technology perspective, we have incorporated features such as AI-enabled energy optimisation, advanced Wi-Fi controls, and more intuitive mobile app interfaces. These include smart notifications and automated modes that help users maintain healthier indoor air quality, especially during periods of high humidity. These updates came from feedback that users want greater visibility and control over energy consumption, remote access, and seamless integration with smart home systems.

To stay connected with highly tech-savvy consumers, we run continuous testing cycles and user studies. We also gather retailer feedback and analyse usage data to understand how households interact with our products. This helps us shape updates and features that are relevant, intuitive, and reliable for the region.

• How is Hisense embedding AI into its consumer products? Beyond convenience, what real benefits does AI bring to users?

We apply AI where it consistently delivers value. In TVs, AI enhances picture and audio quality by analysing content and room conditions in real time. In appliances, AI improves energy efficiency, adjusts performance based on usage patterns, and supports predictive maintenance, reducing the likelihood of breakdowns and improving overall product life. In our laundry category, AI plays an increasingly important role in recommending the ideal wash cycle based on fabric type, colour, and load size. It can even set the appropriate water temperature and spin speed, helping users to protect delicate garments while improving wash performance.

For users, the benefit is straightforward: better performance with less manual intervention. AI helps the product adapt to the user, rather than requiring the user to adapt to complex settings.

• What differentiates Laser TV from traditional LED or OLED technology, both in performance and environmental impact?

Laser TVs offer a fundamentally different viewing experience and cannot be directly compared to traditional LED or OLED panels, as they each serve different purposes. The laser TV is designed to replicate a true cinema environment; it uses ultra-short throw laser technology which is better suited for large-format screens due to consistent colour accuracy, strong contrast, and reduced eye strain. It performs especially well at sizes above 100 inches, where conventional panels become less practical, heavier, and significantly more power-intensive.

From an environmental standpoint, the laser TV uses far less energy and production materials than similarly sized LED or OLED screens. This makes it a more sustainable choice for consumers who want a big-screen experience without the high power consumption of traditional panels.

At Hisense, we are pioneering this category globally, with a current positioning as the world’s number one laser TV brand. We endeavour to continue expanding the technology to bring the big-screen cinema experience into modern homes.

• How is Hisense adapting its Laser TV lineup for Middle Eastern consumers, who often value both cinematic experience and design aesthetics?

Middle Eastern households are generally more accommodating of large, high-quality displays and interior design. While we have not developed a laser TV range exclusively for the Middle East, we are continuously enhancing our overall TV ecosystem in ways that benefit local users, particularly through our updated VIDAA operating system, which now includes more Arabic interfaces, regional apps, and local streaming platforms such as Shahid.

The region presents a strong opportunity for laser TV adoption, especially in large homes and villas where dedicated cinema rooms are becoming increasingly popular. The Hisense laser TV is ideal for this environment, offering an ultra-short throw set-up, immersive large-format viewing, and a cinema-style experience without the need for complex installation or heavy wall-mounted panels.

We continue to focus on features such as ALR (ambient light rejection) screens, enhanced sound performance, and clean, modern industrial design, all of which make laser TV a natural fit for households looking to elevate both their viewing habits and their interior spaces.

• What are the next big innovation priorities for Hisense in the Middle East?

Across the world and in the MEA region, our goal is to innovate products that simplify everyday life. We are focused on advancing our AI chips, enhancing intelligent capabilities, and expanding ConnectLife to build a fully connected home ecosystem that is smarter, more intuitive, and increasingly predictive.

We are also strengthening our core product lineup with meaningful category breakthroughs. In our laundry segment, we recently launched PureView and X-Zone Master, two products that we believe represent a new standard in performance, design, and user-centric innovation. In the display category, we’ve introduced the 116-inch RGB Mini-LED, a landmark innovation that we expect will redefine what consumers can expect from large-screen entertainment.

From a regional standpoint, we continue to develop our air-conditioning solutions to withstand extreme heat, humidity, dust, and long operational hours , priorities that are especially important for the Middle East. For home appliances, we’re building features tailored to local lifestyles, such as the Abaya wash cycle in our washing machines, ensuring cultural relevance and ease of use for consumers in this market. These initiatives reflect the growing needs of our consumers in the region: reliability, connectivity, climate-ready performance, and elevated home entertainment experiences