Abstract
This paper narrates how a community outreach initiative to interview local leaders on organizational adaptation to COVID morphed into a systematic reflection on Emirati-expatriate leadership relations in the UAE with an eclectic mix of thinkers serving as guides along the journey. Influenced by Cooperrider’s call for an appreciative inquiry into the tragic as well as the ordinary and extraordinary, a deep dive is undertaken into the following questions:
 
 Why and for whom do Emiratis and expatriates sustain their pursuit of excellence?
 Why and how do Emiratis seek to engage expatriates in this pursuit?
 Why are expatriates initially charmed but often prematurely ‘exit’ as this engagement runs its course?
 Where in some of the stories told about Sheikh Zayed can be found a more life-giving purpose?
 
 The journey eventually returns home by discussing how it influenced the formulation of a philosophy to guide the strategic process in my business school and could be relevant to other academic ‘place shapers’ seeking cross-cultural enrichment.
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