Leaders Are Human Too
Two of our women leaders share their journey to finding their purpose, leadership, and prospects of the future of Indonesia
This month, Tokopedia celebrated our 11th anniversary and honored our on-going journey to democratize commerce through technology. Unlike last year’s festive anniversary celebration, the current global pandemic has encouraged us to commemorate our big day through numerous live events and an online charity concert instead, streamed through our very own streaming service, Tokopedia PLAY.
Themed “Rayakan Semangat Baru”, the 1-day virtual event highlighted Tokopedia’s renewed spirit and motivation to achieve our mission, which also aimed to encourage Indonesians across the archipelago to face the current post-pandemic reality with a similar mindset.
Among the many events that took place on the 17th of August were Tokopedia’s 11th Anniversary and the 75th Independence Day of the Republic of Indonesia. In line with that, Tokopedia’s first session of the day invited two of Indonesia’s most inspirational figures: Retno L. P. Marsudi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, and Sri Mulyani Indrawati, Minister of Finance of the Republic of Indonesia.
Hosted by Andi Noya, the session brought forward the theme of “Leaders Are Human Too”, and discussed the distinct journey of Indonesia’s two women leaders to finding their purpose within the Indonesian government, their leadership as well as their prospects for the future of Indonesia. Let’s read more below!
Retno L. P. Marsudi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia
“Indonesia always aims to be part of the solution to the world’s problems. So we should be proud of our country.”
As the 17th Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, Retno has been a career Diplomat for over 34 years. Before entering the field of international relations, she was always aware that the work of a diplomat knows no physical nor timely boundaries and that it was a 24-hour-7-days-a-week type of contract.
Comparably, Retno’s main focus this year has been navigating through an unprecedented global pandemic. While citizens around the world have been urged to stay at home, governments across the globe, including Indonesia, have been busier than ever.
Retno shared that since the global lockdown started in March 2020, Indonesia’s initial focus was securing sufficient protective medical equipment for medical professionals working at the frontlines of the pandemic, and medicines for the general population.
Following suit, Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs prioritized the urgent and safe repatriation of over 140,000 Indonesian citizens abroad, as many countries started closing its borders, and flying citizens home in large groups became increasingly risky. Moreover, Indonesia supported more than 500,000 Indonesian nationals living abroad with accessibility issues during the lockdown, by providing them with food and health packages. Meanwhile, in addition to working with other countries to support the creation of a globally accessible vaccine, Indonesia is also in the midst of creating our own.
In line with Indonesia’s Independence Day, when asked about Indonesia’s current contribution to the global scene, Retno shared that Indonesia always aims to be part of the solution to the world’s problems. Recently, for the third year in a row, Indonesia has successfully reserved a seat as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the period of 2019–2020. More importantly, this August 2020, Indonesia holds the Presidency of the UN Security Council, where it will preside over policy issues and oversee any crisis, among other important global security issues. Also, Indonesia has secured its fifth term as part of the United Nations Human Rights Council for the 2020–2022 period. So, Retno reminded those of us who doubt in Indonesia’s prominent role in the international eye, that we should be proud of our country.
Furthermore, as one of the few female ministers in the Indonesian government, when asked about her leadership, she stated that she always considers her position as both a gift and a responsibility that requires a strong commitment. Consequently, as a firm believer in the power of positivity, with many people under her leadership, Retno emphasized the importance of spreading positivity to encourage collaboration as well as leading by example.
In line with the theme of the talk show, when asked about how Retno manages stress as not only the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the fourth most populous country in the world but as a human, she shared that it’s important to love what you do. Also, a great stress reliever is by prioritizing a healthy lifestyle, consuming a balanced diet, and making time to exercise regularly.
Sri Mulyani Indrawati, Minister of Finance of the Republic of Indonesia
“Indonesians are good people because within the population we have harmony. Despite our many tribes and cultures, we worked together to gain our independence, which fostered our spirit to help each other.”
Starting out as an Economist, Sri Mulyani previously held the title of Minister of Finance for the first time in 2005 until 2010, under the presidency of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. Following her first post, she was appointed as Managing Director of the World Bank where she worked for 6 years, before being reappointed as Minister of Finance in a cabinet reshuffle by the current President of the Republic of Indonesia, Joko Widodo, in 2016. Sri Mulyani calls this reappointment a responsibility but also a calling.
As Minister of Finance during a challenging year due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, Sri Mulyani shared that this is not the first crisis she has had to maneuver while in a leadership position.
When she was an Economist, she encountered the financial crisis of 1997–1998 which brought on tough economic, social and political implications within the country. Not only that, during her first term as Minister of Finance, she was met with the global financial crisis of 2008–2009 which resulted in significant financial turbulence in Indonesia. Now, when faced with COVID-19, Sri Mulyani shared that despite the negative effects on the country’s stability and growth, as a leader, she believes that this pandemic will force us to reevaluate our healthcare and social security systems, our support for small local entrepreneurs, the stability of our financial services and the ability of our bureaucrats to adjust to this new normal. Furthermore, as a leader during this crisis, she believes in looking at the blessings.
Meanwhile, in addition to looking at the upside, Sri Mulyani discussed that during the pandemic, the Ministry of Finance had enforced many policies and instilled numerous programmes to support the Indonesian population. As a first step, Indonesia ensured that sufficient funds were distributed to medical workers across the country to access adequate medical equipment, and for the community to be able to fulfill their needs for health products and medicines. Simultaneously, the government focused on implementing social assistance programs for individuals who had found themselves unemployed due to the pandemic and their families.
Nevertheless, while previous crises endured by Indonesia impacted only large companies and organizations, the COVID-19 pandemic heavily affected small local entrepreneurs as well. Consequently, the government allocated IDR 123 trillion to the creation of financial safety nets across all levels of society. This consisted of the relaxation of loans, interest rate revocations on loans below a specific amount, removal of income tax, support for logistics providers in the form of food packages, as well as additional assistance in the form of fresh money.
Albeit at a slow pace, Sri Mulyani believes that as a nation, Indonesia should remain optimistic that we will overcome the COVID-19 pandemic, as we are gifted with strong social capital. As the spirit of “gotong royong” or the willingness to always help one another is firmly embedded in our communities and culture, we must remain confident in our ability to get through this challenging time and come out even stronger.
All in all, when asked about her leadership, as a civil servant she believes it is one’s promise to always place the needs of the public above one’s self-interest, being consistent in fulfilling your responsibilities and giving it your all. As someone who is often required to make tough decisions in high-risk situations, Sri Mulyani’s strength and assertiveness in her decision-making are often mistaken for masculinity and harshness. Nevertheless, as she believes a leader should always show the way, Sri Mulyani continues to fulfill her responsibility and make tough decisions with confidence.
Learnings from our Women Leaders
While Sri Mulyani Indrawati, Minister of Finance of the Republic of Indonesia, and Retno L. P. Marsudi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia have distinct expertise, they have one great thing in common. As great leaders should, they are highly committed to their respective roles in the Indonesian government to protect and manage Indonesia’s financial and state finances as well as advance Indonesia’s foreign politics and diplomacy, among placing the needs of the population as their ultimate priority.
Furthermore, faced with the current COVID-19 pandemic, their determination, positivity, and faith that Indonesia has the strength to overcome this period of uncertainty is the light at the end of the tunnel.
