Indonesia needs true leader with vision<\/p>\n
Patrick Guntensperger, Business Consultant, Jakarta<\/p>\n
ttpguntensperger@hotmail.com<\/p>\n
At this critical turning point in the history of Indonesia,
\nit's crucial that those who have the ultimate responsibility for
\nselecting the government -- the voters -- keep some distinctions
\nfirmly in mind. Calling attention to the differences in meaning
\namong words like ruling, governing and, leading is not mere
\npedantic hairsplitting, but has some very real implications for a
\ncountry that is trying to grow into its role as a modern
\ndemocracy.<\/p>\n
Indonesia has had all the rulers she's ever needed. She has
\nhad the Dutch, she has had the Japanese and she's had some of her
\nown. She doesn't need to empower any more homegrown aspirants to
\nautocracy. What is needed now is a vision that Indonesians can
\nshare and leaders to take us there. But in our efforts to help
\nIndonesia move away from her long history of enduring heavy-
\nhanded power wielding, let us not confuse leadership with
\nauthoritarianism.<\/p>\n
To lead is not to bully. To have attained office is not to
\nhave demonstrated leadership, it is merely to have acquired
\npower; and democratically acquired power is fundamentally an
\nopportunity. In a fledgling democracy like Indonesia's, we elect
\nsomeone because we believe that person worthy of being granted an
\nopportunity to demonstrate his or her ability to lead.<\/p>\n
When a democracy is as young and untried as Indonesia's is,
\nthose whom we elect to govern must prove to us every day that
\nthey have what it takes to lead us. Governing is managing; it's a
\ntough job, but it's routine. It is caretaking, ensuring that
\nthings run as efficiently as possible, it is admirable if it is
\ndone well, but it is, at the end of the day, a static exercise in
\nmaintaining. What Indonesia needs and what the elections are
\nessentially an audition for, are leaders.<\/p>\n
Think of the campaign period leading up to the elections as
\none of those Pop Idol search shows. The process is, and should
\nbe, grueling. It is intended to separate the serious from the
\ndilettantes, the talented from the hacks, those who thrive under
\npressure from those who crumble.<\/p>\n
It is intended to help us decide between those with a vision
\nto share and those with visions of personal wealth. It tests and
\nexamines the abilities of the candidates and the public's
\nresponse to their performances. It winnows out the totally
\nhopeless and retains the one that, in the estimation of the
\npublic, is most likely to rise to the occasion and meet the
\nexpectations of a demanding public.<\/p>\n
But the important parallel is what happens after one of the
\naspirants gets the nod. Merely having survived the process isn't
\nenough...it only means that now the candidate has a chance to
\nshow the public that their trust was not misplaced. Does the act
\nhave legs or was it just a flash in the pan, the flavor of the
\nmonth? Once a candidate has been given the spotlight, the hits
\nhad better start coming.<\/p>\n
A candidate, once elected has to begin to lead; ruling is
\nunacceptable and governing is insufficient. And most
\nsignificantly of all, for someone to claim to be a leader, people
\nhave to choose to follow. And despite the assumption of all too
\nmany politicians, we are not newly hatched geese; we don't just
\nfollow the first large object that moves in our field of vision.
\nWe are human beings who expect to be shown a good reason to put
\ndecision-making power in the hands of an individual, before we
\nbuy into the vision that is being sold.<\/p>\n
In the 21st century, a ruler won't last long. In a country as
\npopulous and diverse as Indonesia, a head of state who tries to
\nexercise autocratic power -- in other words, tries to rule --
\nwill be the cause of mass rejection and quite likely violent
\nconfrontation, if not actual revolution. Indonesia could survive
\nwith a head of state who is merely an effective governor. In fact
\nIndonesia needs a good governor. But what Indonesia really needs
\nis a leader.<\/p>\n
A true leader will govern; the routine management of the day-
\nto-day affairs of state will be taken care of with a minimum of
\ndisruption and there will be time and resources available to
\nimplement the vision that is what distinguishes a statesman from
\na politician, a leader from a manager.<\/p>\n
When we select that leader, the choice will have been made
\nbecause we are able to share a belief in the vision. We will
\nhappily make sacrifices in order to achieve that vision and
\ncoercion, lies and deceit won't be necessary to persuade us to
\nfollow. What defines a true leader? The willingness of people to
\nfollow.<\/p>\n
That's what we must look for as we sort through the hyperbole,
\nand weave our way through the crowds and flags and banners and
\nsift through the rhetoric. Out of this chaos we ought to be
\ntrying to find a person with a coherent vision of Indonesia's
\nfuture, and a plan to get us there.<\/p>\n
Once we've found that person we have to ask ourselves: Am I
\nwilling to put decisions that will affect my life and the life of
\nmy family in this person's hands? That's a lot of trust to put in
\na stranger. Surely that stranger should be known to be of
\nabsolutely impeccable integrity before a decision of that
\nmagnitude is taken.<\/p>\n
So before we vote, let's look at the candidates and ask
\nourselves the toughest questions of all. Do I trust the candidate
\nI am considering to lead me? Do I trust that person with my life
\nand the lives of my family?<\/p>",
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