Adaptive Leadership: A New Foundation for Indonesia's Civil Servants
The transformation of the bureaucracy to provide adaptive and responsive public services is being strengthened. The National Institute of Public Administration (LAN) of the Republic of Indonesia officially released the graduates of the National Leadership Training (PKN) Level II, Batch IV, 2026, at the Hasanuddin Hall, Makassar, on Friday (31/07/2026).
This step to strengthen bureaucratic leadership capacity aligns with the requirements of Law Number 20 of 2023 concerning Civil State Apparatus (ASN), which encourages a fundamental change in governance towards a more flexible, high-performing, and result-oriented bureaucracy. The training requires structural officials to be capable of formulating concrete solutions to complex public issues within their respective regions and agencies.
The success indicators of the PKN Level II are reflected in the academic and practical outputs of the participants. Four strategic policy briefs were successfully drafted and symbolically submitted by participant representative Andi Asminullah, S.STP., to the leadership of LAN RI. These policy briefs contain breakthrough ideas and data-driven recommendations designed to overcome service obstacles and accelerate bureaucratic efficiency across various levels of government.
Adaptive Leadership and Global Competitiveness
Dr. Andi Taufik, M.Si., representing the Head of LAN RI, emphasised that the rapidly changing global landscape demands that state apparatus move away from rigid, old working patterns. In his farewell oration titled “Adaptive Leadership For A Resilient and Sustainable Government,” he stressed the importance of agility in thinking and acting for public sector leaders. “The development of adaptive leadership is crucial in supporting the transformation of national governance. Adaptive leadership is vital because it provides the strength to realise national resilience and win global competitiveness. Adaptive leaders are key to ensuring the government remains relevant and responsive to the people’s needs,” stated the LAN Secretary of State.
Synergy and Discipline
The learning process for the 2026 PKN Level II Batch IV was designed using a blended learning approach, combining classical and non-classical methods based on experiential learning. Over three months, from 30 April to 31 July 2026, participants underwent a series of learning activities including independent study, synchronous and asynchronous e-learning, classical learning, national leadership visits, and the actualisation of strategic leadership through the implementation of change projects in their respective agencies.
In the implementation report, Dr. Muhammad Aswad explained that the PKN Level II programme is based on regulations for civil servant competency development and aims to form strategic leadership for primary high-level officials. A total of 70 participants from ministries, agencies, and provincial, regency, and municipal governments participated in the programme under the theme: “Developing Adaptive Leadership to Support Regional Governance Transformation to Realise the Resilience and Competitiveness of Coastal Communities.” This theme served as a reference for drafting change projects to ensure a real impact on society and support the implementation of the ‘Asta Cita’ national vision.
Dr. Muh Aswad emphasised that the success of the training is measured by the sustained implementation of change projects once participants return to their duties. “The success of this training is the result of collaboration across the entire learning ecosystem. Therefore, we hope that these change projects do not end with the conclusion of the training, but continue as part of the effort to provide more effective, adaptive governance that delivers a real impact on the community,” he noted.
Discipline and mental resilience were also vital parts of the curriculum. Representing the graduates, Nuryadi, S.Sos., MAP, reflected on the strict assessment standards applied during the education process in Makassar. “The tight deadlines on the Learning Management System (LMS)—where even a slight delay in uploading tasks past 23:59 meant the task was invalidated for that day—served as silent witnesses to how our discipline was tested. However, from that struggle, we bring home the best leadership lessons from Makassar,” said Nuryadi.
The graduation ceremony was also attended by various regional leaders and cross-agency officials responsible for the development of civil servants, demonstrating support for the competency development process undertaken by the participants.