When the Ground Shifts Beneath Your Feet: The Story of Merit International
I founded Merit International in Bahrain in 1999. It began as a local company, then we entered into a partnership with partners of Asian nationalities and opened a branch in India. The company grew financially by the standards of that period, and became a success story in every sense of the word.
Then came 2004.
Because of exceptional regional circumstances that directly affected the business environment in the region, I found myself facing a difficult decision: to exit the company and close its branch in Bahrain.
It was not the result of a management mistake, nor of weak performance. Performance was strong, but the ground on which the business was built had changed. That is exactly what makes the story important. To fail because you made a mistake is a lesson that can be learned. To exit because the environment turned over is an entirely different lesson.
The irony is that Merit International did not end with my exit. The company was built on a foundation solid enough to last. Today it is still standing, still operating, and present in the Indian financial market. The company I founded carried on after me, and that in itself I count as the most important measure of success.
What I learned
- Real resilience is not continuing at any cost. It is knowing when to protect the value you built, even if that means scaling back part of your ambition.
- A strong company must be designed to endure even when its founder is absent or steps aside.
- Reading the external environment is part of risk management, not an intellectual luxury.
This story extends an idea I often return to: leadership is not in what you see, but in what continues after you.
An independent reading of your organization or project, and a clear plan for what needs to change and how.
Mr. Ahmed AlAali
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