Searching for a visionary leader

Elwin Tobing, Iowa, U.S.

In his speech accepting his nomination as the U.S. Democratic Party's 1992 presidential candidate, Bill Clinton said, "Where there is no vision, the people perish." This is true for individuals, corporations and so too for nations. Certainly, Indonesia is no exception. In this election season, Clinton's words are a timely reminder.

As the presidential election heats up, Indonesians need to ask: What are the qualities that the nation's future leader must possess?

The leader we are searching for must be one who is capable of leading a multiethnic developing country. Our nation is facing enormous tasks in achieving development, from improving economic and social welfare to building national unity.

Many leaders preach about problems but few advance creative solutions. An ideal leader is a problem-solver -- leadership is about having the insight to understand problems and to seek solutions.

With a population of 220 million people, Indonesia is the fourth-largest nation on earth. But quantity does not always reflect quality in leadership.

The nation's development agenda must be a thorough and purposeful plan. To equip the nation in the competitive 21st century, the development plan could include the target of ensuring 40 percent of the labor force had at least 12 years of schooling 15 years from now. We need to promote a learning society -- a society which values and is hungry for knowledge and which is willing to pursue it through a life-time learning process.

Other problems facing the country range from poverty, unemployment to massive corruption and injustice. All of these problems have been around for decades and have culminated during the past five years. There have been a few steps forward but there have been dozens of failures too, including the failure to combat corruption.

While the list might look gloomy, leadership is not about succumbing to frustration and despair. It is about offering a vision and a way forward. And people don't want excuses for a lack of progress from their leader. They want ideas for moving forward.

A true leader must posses a vision that will provide them with a sense of purpose and a sense of duty. Without a vision, a leader might think of their position as an opportunity to accumulate private wealth. The leader will lack a sense of duty to promote a better nation. If the leader does not have a vision, how can they lead a nation and inspire the people to work hard to achieve a better nation? When people sense a deep purpose and personal commitment in their leader, they are more than willing to be led.

How should good leaders formulate their visions? The best visions are generated through discussion and debate. During the preparation for an independent Indonesia in the 1940s for instance, the founding fathers debated seriously and intensely the kinds of basic principles upon which the future state would be founded.

They had sharp differences on the basis and the territory of the future nation. One group proposed Islam as the basis, while other groups favored a secular state. In the end, they came up with a visionary consensus: A united Indonesia based upon the Principle of Pancasila. Two among them who were particularly visionary were Sukarno and Hatta, who then led the nation into independence.

Just like the founding fathers who understood the defining characteristics of Indonesia, so too today's leaders should build their visions by examining the realities of modern-day Indonesia.

Having comprehended these realities, a visionary leader then consults with groups of people, reassesses their vision and communicates it the public. This should be the whole purpose -- and process -- of the presidential campaigns and election.

The vision must also not conflict with the nation's Constitution, indeed, it must be directly linked to it. According to the Constitution, among the basic aims of the state is to protect the Indonesian people and the land, advance public welfare and develop the intellectual life of the nation.

The first task of true leaders is to formulate their visions in line with the state's basic aims. Only after that, plans and political considerations can follow. Politics must come after vision and policies, not the other way around.

Joel Arthur Baker said, "Vision without action is merely a dream. Action without vision just passes the time. Vision with action can change the world."

The leader's role is not simply to describe the vision. Visionary leaders create meaning for people, giving them a reason why they should work for a better nation.

They do this by formulating and communicating a meaningful vision of the future and encouraging the people to realize this dream.

The writer, founder of The Indonesian Institute, can be reached at elwin@theindonesianinstitute.org