Country: India
Organisation Name: Iqra International School
Started in the Year: 2012
Position: Founder & Managing Director
Website: www.iisb.co
Personal Introduction
Mrs Noor Ayesha is a passionate educator, a dreamer and a Doer. She completed her schooling in Baldwin Girls’ High School, Bachelors in Computer Science Engineering from Visvesvaraya Technological University and MBA in HRD and Project Management from Cardiff Metropolitan University, Wales UK. She has also received several certifications from many renowned organizations. She is a doting mother of 4 blessed with a supportive family. She is currently based out of Canada to pursue her Doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy at the University of Toronto, Canada.
Professional Introduction
Noor Ayesha is an upbeat versatile leader who is proactive and believes very strongly in a holacratic organisational culture that empowers people.
After her Graduation she worked as a Team Member at JPMorganChase, Bangalore. After her Post Graduation she worked as a Centre Administrator/ HR Officer at EBSP – Leadership, Equality and Diversity Training Centre, Cardiff-UK and later joined IBFC-UK, Islamic Banking and Finance Center – Cardiff-UK as a Business Development Manager.
Her short stint at an International School in Mumbai and her dissatisfaction with the education system prevalent in India provoked her to begin her own school which imparts Value Based Education in Bangalore.
Currently, she is the Director at Fantasy Group, Founder & CEO at OURAH, Director at Iqra Games Village, Director at Centre of Integrative Medicine and Clinically Applied Hijamah Therapy(ICAHT), Vice-Chairman in the Universal Educational Trust & Founder-Managing Director at Iqra International School. She is also the Patron Principal at Early Childhood Association (ECA), Member of the Islamic Educators Communication Network operated by Islamic Schools League of America(ISLA) and Council of Islamic Schools in North America(CISNA). She is also the Global Goodwill Ambassador(India) at the Global Goodwill Ambassadors(GGA).
| ‘Best Innovative International Preschool in Bangalore’ award at the Asia Education Summit & Awards 2016 |
Under Mrs Noor Ayesha’s able leadership, Iqra International School has come a long way in a very short span. The school has made its mark in the education sector by setting the right culture within the school and by getting recognized for the unique way in which her team is imparting education. Iqra International School was conferred with the ‘Best Innovative International Preschool in Bangalore’ award at the Asia Education Summit & Awards 2016 in New Delhi, the ‘Most Promising school for Quality Education in Bangalore’ award at the Asia Leadership & Services Awards 2016 in Mumbai, Ranked No 1 in India for “Individual Attention to Students” by Education Today in Association with GEMS Education (Varkey Foundation) at the India School’s Merit Awards 2016 in Bangalore. Ranked No.1 in India for ‘Holistic Development’ at India’s School Merit Award 2017 organized by Education Today in Association with GEMS Education (Varkey Foundation), Awarded Excellence in Flexible Education Programme at The India K12 Awards 2019 by Eldrok India and was conferred with the International School Award 2019-2022 by the British Council.
She was conferred with the ‘Rashtriya Shiksha Ratan Award’(National Education Gem Award) by The Indian Society for Industry and Intellectual Development during a Seminar on “Outstanding Contribution for National Progress and World Peace” at the Constitution Club of India, New Delhi. She was conferred the ‘Fakhr-e-Watan’ Award (Pride of the Nation Award) in 2017 in New Delhi by Pakistan High Commissioner Mr. Abdul Basit and Vice-Chairman of the Urdu Academy Dr. Majid Deobandi for her academic and social services.
She has been listed among 100 courageous, competent and committed contemporary Muslim Women of Karnataka in the book Rising Beyond The Ceiling released in February 2023.
She will be conferred with the ‘Shiksha Gaurav Puraskar 2023’(Pride of Education Award 2023) on 18th March in New Delhi.
She has been a speaker at the Eldrok Summit 2019, Early Childhood Association Summit 2019, Asia Education Summit, 2016 and at the Asia Leadership & Services Awards 2016 on ‘Value Based Education – Need of the Hour!’ and various other topics. She has also been a speaker at various MFERD conferences.
Interview Questions:
What inspired you to start your organisation in the Islamic Economy
A promise I made to my father as a 17 year old to seek education and benefit the community with my knowledge. The Tarbiyyah Project by Br Dawud Tauhidi (Rahimahullah) that I chanced upon while I was researching about education before I began Iqra has been an inspiration and guide.
What were the challenges you had to overcome in the initial stages of starting your organisation?
| Steer clear of Riba and Riba based loans. |
The only challenge was and still remains the huge deficit of good teachers in the Education sector.
What is the most important thing you feel anyone needs to do to build a successful organisation in the Islamic Economy?
Steer clear of Riba and Riba based loans.
What were the most important learning experiences you would like to share?
Though I had a natural inclination towards leadership, I wasn’t born with the skills to own/head an organisation. It took a lot of time, effort and many failures to acquire and develop these skills to become what I am today.
I believe, my investment in building relationships and forming a strong core team has helped sustain many setbacks.
I believe setbacks are infact windows of opportunities which only become visible when you start believing that you are not in control, only HE is.
During my sessions every year with my team I ask them 3 questions:
1. What is your purpose of existence?
2. Why are you here?
3. What should be your focus while you are here?
| I give huge importance for growth and development through professional development and believe the employee’s voice is the most important to the growth and development of any organisation. |
I inform them that the only purpose of existence of a Muslim is to focus on achieving Jannah and to achieve that, smart Muslims will always take up Jobs that help them balance between worldly and spiritual life to earn their daily bread and place in Jannah. I ask them to check and stay with us only if their purpose of existence aligns with what they are doing in our organisation. This way I make them align and bind their purpose to our organisation’s mission thus establishing a strong passionate connection and a sense of belonging with the Institution along with strong ethics and a sense of safety. I advice them while they are around to focus only and only on pleasing Allah and to not make anything personal if it is for the sake of Allah.
I enjoy reading people and identifying their talent which helps me to push them to realise their own potential and empowers them with great confidence (which they never knew they possessed). The joy and gratitude upon realising their potential is indescribable and serves as my biggest motivator.
I give huge importance to growth and development through professional development and believe the employee’s voice is the most important to the growth and development of any organisation which has in turn helped me become a good listener who is always approachable/available especially to hear new ideas and struggles. I empower them by asking them to always attend meetings with solutions to their struggles and then by resolving those struggles with their own solutions.
What advice would you give aspiring leaders in the Islamic Economy?
I am a very positive person and this positivity comes through Istikhara. I believe everything happens for a good reason (Khair) which will only be realised in time. I take all such experiences as teachable moments to grow and move forward with courage and resilience. This helps me worry less about the past/ present and remain positive to take on more risks in the future.
| I advice aspiring leaders to rely strongly on istikhara before making even the smallest of decisions. |
I advice aspiring leaders to rely strongly on istikhara before making even the smallest of decisions and once istikhara is done, there shouldn’t be even an iota of doubt or regret as you’ve consulted the Most Supreme controller of affairs so the outcome, even if it is not what you hoped for, is for sure good for you. Once you get used to istikhara and believe in it strongly, disappointment, distress, dilemma, depression will never know you again.
I always mention this to my team that voracious Readers make great Leaders so make reading and researching a part of your daily routine. Travel as much as possible and sharpen your axe as travel broadens the horizons of your mind, helping you solve the unsolvable.
Prioritise your health and keep your humility in check always. As leaders always remember that with great power comes great responsibility and with great responsibility comes even greater accountability. Abu Umamah reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “No man is given authority over ten people or more but that he will come to Allah on the Day of Resurrection with his hands in shackles up to his neck. His freedom is his righteousness, or his imprisonment is his sin. The first of it is blame, the middle of it is regret, and the last of it is disgrace on the Day of Resurrection.” Source: Musnad Aḥmad
