When Young People Turn Personal Ambition into Social Action
Leadership today is no longer solely about titles, senior positions or a platform for personal advancement. For younger generations, modern leadership means empathy and collaboration, and using one’s presence to make a tangible difference to those around them.
That spirit was evident at the Nutrifood Leadership Award (NLA) 2026 ceremony, held in Jakarta on Thursday, 15 October 2026. In its 18th year, the award adopted the theme “From Well-Being to We-Being”, encouraging young people to go beyond pursuing personal achievements and take collaborative action to address community needs.
Nutrifood Human Resources Manager Dian Mariani said the programme was designed as a safe space and a platform for young people to develop their potential while benefiting others. Through the “Well-Being to We-Being” theme, the organisers sought to encourage finalists not to stop at personal accomplishments, but to build collaboration, foster empathy and create a positive impact on society. This approach required participants to do more than develop ideas on paper: they had to go into the field and identify real problems.
A total of 20 finalists from universities across Indonesia were challenged to design and implement social projects. They worked closely with four partner organisations: Rumah Harapan Indonesia (RHI), Scholars of Sustenance (SOS), Koneksi Indonesia Inklusif (KONEKIN) and Indonesia Mengajar. With mentors from each organisation, the students had the opportunity to collaborate, solve problems and give other team members a chance to take on leadership roles in turn.
During the mentoring process, the students’ commitment and sensitivity impressed their mentors. Rumah Harapan Indonesia founder Valencia Mieke Randa praised the finalists for identifying fundamental issues before developing their programmes.
She said the students did more than follow formal instructions: they were also able to turn their ideas into practical activities in a relatively short time. According to Valencia, true leadership requires the ability to identify the root of a problem. “A leader is not just someone who leads, but someone who looks for the root of a problem and then offers a solution,” she said.
This solutions-based approach was reflected in the social initiatives they carried out. In the health sector, the team working with Rumah Harapan Indonesia organised health and nutrition checks for parents and children, as well as psychological counselling for caregivers accompanying patients.