Vision of today and tomorrow
Vision of today and tomorrow
R.A. Kartini is a heroine of Indonesian history. She fought
for women's emancipation long before the country became
independent. Her vision of women's emancipation was so powerful,
it has become a reality, as can be seen in the current
leadership. Is this an accident?
Vision and leadership are complementary, intertwined and
difficult to separate. Today, we hear people mention the word
vision too often, because we are in the midst of a presidential
election. People are busy asking about the candidates' visions.
What is a vision anyway? A vision is an image of success
formed as a guide to develop and contribute to society. It is a
description that conjures up a picture of a common aim or goal
for all. It answers the question, "What will success look like?"
A presidential candidate should communicate to the public
their vision of a future for Indonesia. For example: "Indonesia
is an admirable country whose population is deeply religious,
well-educated, economically affluent, rich in cultural diversity
and the most peaceful place to live in the world."
Considering the state of the country now, it is vital for the
next president to review and brainstorm their vision for
Indonesia with the new administration -- and communicate it to
the public.
They should develop an appropriate vision that would motivate
and drive the population to achieve it. The president should
study, select and implement those development programs that would
lead them toward the realization of the vision. While they may
not see their vision realized within their lifetime, at least
they will have laid a foundation for the succeeding president to
build upon.
A vision may take years to realize, and succeeding presidents
should not lose sight of this and adopt programs to suit only
prevalent, contemporary conditions.
Various studies indicate that the probability of success for
an individual, organization or country is higher when it is built
upon a vision.
Therefore, it is critical that our future leaders to draw a
clear-cut picture now of a successful destination for Indonesia.
The future of Indonesia depends on decisions made today, and
this responsibility lies with the presidential hopefuls, who will
be our leaders tomorrow.
HENDRY SINGGALANG, Jakarta