Picture a boardroom filled with uncertainty, where every eye looks around, searching for the next step forward. Amidst the tension, a leader remains calm, leaning back in his chair, listening more than speaking, and turning challenges into opportunities.
Who is this leader who thrives in complexity, turning uncertainty into innovation? It’s none other than Adam Smith, the Managing Director of Polypipe Middle East Water Technology LLC, a figure who has not just led but transformed the businesses under his care, all with a calmness that inspires confidence and drives success.
When the stakes are high and the pressure is mounting, Adam doesn’t rush to decisions or jump to conclusions. Instead, he reframes failure as a stepping stone to growth, guiding his team with a steady hand and a clear vision. Whether it’s championing in local manufacturing to add in-country-value or steering a lean transformation, his approach is always the same, measured, thoughtful, and quietly effective.
Journey from Construction to Transforming the Built Environment
Coming from a background in the construction industry, Adam began his career working on-site, a common path in the UK. After qualifying and leaving school, his curiosity grew, particularly about how systems worked and the intricacies of manufacturing. This interest deepened as he recognized that manufacturing was where most of the innovation in commercial proposals occurred.
Adam is particularly proud of the company’s strong presence in the Middle East, which is part of a global network. Polypipe’s brands have been active in the region since the 1950s, building an incredible heritage in supplying solutions for buildings. However, it wasn’t until 2009 or 2010 that the company began to establish a physical presence by placing people in the region. Starting with a small office and just a couple of employees, they began to explore ways to grow the business by getting closer to their customers, those who design, build, and occupy buildings and infrastructure.
Under Adam’s leadership, the company has experienced steady growth, though not without its challenges, as growth never follows a straight line. Significant investments have been made over the years, leading to the company becoming a sizeable and influential player in the region. Today, Polypipe Middle East is recognized as the region’s leading provider of climate and water management solutions. He has spearheaded the implementation of a new strategy centered around the purpose of creating sustainable living through collaboration with the industry and customers.
For Adam, it’s no longer just about producing and delivering products or solutions. It’s about understanding the needs of customers and adapting the company’s service proposition accordingly. His commitment to innovation drives him to constantly challenge the status quo, ensuring that the built environment becomes more sustainable. He understands the significant impact their solutions have on people’s lives, from enhancing the health of cities to improving the experiences of those who live and work in buildings, whether it’s an airport, a residential block, or region’s most luxurious hotels .
Adam emphasizes the importance of getting close to the customer, which involves first identifying who the customer is, a task that can be complex in the construction supply chain. He believes that early engagement in projects, even during the conception phase, is crucial. This is where the real value and opportunity for innovation lie. Once a project moves into the construction and build phase, the chances to offer significant value or innovation diminish.
Innovation, in Adam’s view, comes in two forms: subjective innovation, which focuses on new products, solutions, and methods, and exponential innovation, which reimagines how people conceive and experience buildings. When it comes to water, for instance, he envisions a system where rainwater is captured, stored, treated, and reused cyclically.
By viewing rainwater as a valuable asset rather than a waste product, this strategy brings tangible benefits to both building owners and occupants. This innovative approach is what makes his role both challenging and rewarding.
Leading with Purpose
Adam’s journey into the construction industry began on the front lines, early on, he was driven by a desire to understand the complexities of the systems he was working with, which naturally led him to develop an interest in manufacturing. He quickly realized that this sector was the cradle of innovation, especially when it came to commercial proposals.
His role at Polypipe Middle East has been marked by his leadership in expanding the company’s presence in the region. Since the late 2000s, Adam has overseen the growth of a small office into a significant operation, deeply embedded in the Middle East’s construction landscape. He played a crucial role in projects like Expo 2020, where the company was involved years before construction began.
The site’s challenging geology and scale required innovative water management solutions that went beyond conventional methods. Under Adam’s guidance, Polypipe Middle East provided holistic solutions, including 20,000 square meters of blue roofs, or a 70,000 m3 stormwater tank which treated stormwater at its source rather than simply diverting it, effectively preventing flooding across the vast sites.
Adam believes that the success of any project hinges on the strength of the team behind it. For him, building the right team is about finding people who are often better at certain things than he is and fostering an environment where they feel supported and challenged. He prioritizes culture over results, understanding that when people feel at home and empowered, the results naturally follow. He is a firm advocate of balancing the drive for results with leadership qualities like coaching, empathy, humility, and active listening.
In his approach to leadership, Adam doesn’t shy away from admitting when he doesn’t have all the answers. He values creativity and encourages his team to think differently about problems, understanding that some of the best ideas come from those on the front lines of the business. He fosters a culture of continuous improvement, where everyone is encouraged to be healthily unsatisfied with the status quo and to take the initiative in making changes, no matter how small.
One of Adam’s key philosophies is the reframing of failure. He believes that while certain failures are unacceptable, particularly those that breach the company’s core values, failure in the context of innovation is a vital part of achieving success. He has worked to create a culture where it’s okay to try new things, fail, and learn quickly, which he sees as crucial to driving the business forward.
Adam’s leadership style is deeply rooted in understanding the “why” behind every decision. He strives to ensure that his team and organization are always aligned with a clear purpose, driving innovation and creating sustainable solutions that make a real impact on the built environment.
Empowering Purpose
Adam has always believed that true leadership isn’t about having all the answers, it’s about nurturing an environment where others can find the answers themselves. He sees his role as helping people discover their purpose, transforming a job into a career. For Adam, it’s not just about showing up and fulfilling a job description; it’s about asking, “What can we create with our customers? What problems are we trying to solve together?”
In the construction and infrastructure sectors, this purpose-driven approach has led to significant achievements. For instance, in stormwater management, Adam and his team don’t just focus on selling products; they address the bigger issues, like protecting public health, preventing flooding, disease, and pollution. These are challenges that resonate on a global scale, making his team feel as if they’re standing ten feet tall when they work with governments and cities to mitigate such risks.
Adam rarely talks about products first. Instead, he and his team start by addressing shared concerns, such as indoor air quality in high rise buildings or rapid urbanisation. They engage in conversations about green urbanisation, climate adaptation, and biodiversity, topics that spark passion not just in the construction industry but across a wide audience. This shared purpose with their customers drives the design and delivery of innovative solutions.
In a market where efficiency and cost management are critical, Adam emphasizes the importance of exploiting what competitors don’t know. He focuses on integrating software solutions and speaking the language of the customer, which allows his team to streamline processes early in the supply chain. Yet Adam also recognizes the need to empower his team to make decisions autonomously. He understands that effective leadership involves knowing when to step in and when to step back, trusting his team to handle the challenges they face.
Adam admits that this approach can be challenging, especially for new leaders who may feel that knowledge equates to power. But he firmly believes that knowledge alone isn’t power; rather, it’s the ability to guide and empower others that truly drives success in today’s market. By encouraging autonomy and supporting his team, he has created a culture where people are not only empowered but also inspired to lead in their own right.
Strategic Approach to Innovation and Resilience
Adam’s approach is both strategic and consultative. He emphasizes the importance of early engagement with customers, believing that it’s never too early to start a conversation about their needs and constraints. His philosophy revolves around an “ask, not tell” policy, similar to a doctor’s consultation, where the focus is on understanding the customer’s problems before proposing solutions. This method builds trust and ensures that solutions are tailored to the specific needs of the project.
The construction industry, Adam notes, is characterized by low margins and high risks. To address these challenges, he advocates for a more collaborative and partnering approach within the supply chain. He points out that the industry still relies on outdated methods, such as assembling buildings from parts sourced separately, which contrasts sharply with other industries like automotive manufacturing. He believes that adopting off-site and modular technologies could improve safety, reliability, and cost-effectiveness in construction.
Furthermore, Adam highlights the need for efficiency in construction sites, were current performance lags significantly behind manufacturing standards. He cautions against letting contractual disputes and legal concerns overshadow the goal of delivering quality projects. Instead, he encourages focusing on good project management and delivering safe, sustainable buildings.
Adam’s resilience and perspective on leadership are also noteworthy. He reflects on the importance of not getting bogged down by setbacks and maintaining focus on the long-term goals. He advises leaders to be aware of their strengths and weaknesses, build teams that can challenge them constructively, and embrace failure as a learning opportunity. For him, leadership involves both supporting and challenging his team, ensuring that they can navigate the complexities of the construction industry while striving for continuous improvement.
