A ‘trouble shooting’ leadership Ignas Kleden  ;   Sociologist and chairman of the Indonesian Community for Democracy (KID) in Jakarta

JAKARTA POST, 19 November 2014

                                                                                                                       

A “troubleshooter” is a term originating in engineering. It refers to a mechanical wizard who can easily identify the source of engine malfunction and can deploy the ingenuity to make the necessary repairs. He or she is adept not in building a new engine, but in mending one that is broken. He or she is not destined to invent a new mechanical tool, but has the skills to make an old one work in a new way. In a larger sense, this notion can be applied to various sectors like management, communication and leadership. President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo is a case in point. If we listen to his speeches or his instructions to his Cabinet, time and again he emphasizes the need to find weaknesses or troublespots in respective sectors and tackle them right away. What he must be able to do is situate certain achievement targets within a manageable timeframe. He can then use this as a basis for assessing whether a minister is capable of carrying out his or her tasks, or if a more qualified individual is needed. Analogically speaking, President Jokowi does not want to wage regular warfare, but rather a guerilla war that can overcome any possible ambush. One may question whether he will fall short of implementing a comprehensive plan for governance given his tendency to rely on ad hoc actions to resolve immediate problems, which causes him to lose sight of the whole architecture of his plan and of the policies that embody his brand of political leadership. However, to do justice to Jokowi’s leadership, one has to ask how the President perceives the country he leads, whether he sees the country as ready for comprehensive overhaul or for part-by-part repairs before being pushed to full speed. One can easily compile a long list of unfinished jobs waiting to be tackled. To name a few, corruption that undermines all levels of bureaucracy, a lack of basic infrastructure; law enforcement that oscillates between good intentions and bad practices, widespread power hunger; an incompetence to use power productively, the squandering of natural resources through extractive mining and rampant illegal fishing; huge foreign debts accumulating year after year, volatility in educational planning without a long-term perspective; lack of government protection for overseas migrant workers, ecological destruction through unbridled deforestation and illegal logging; worsening air- and water-pollution levels and lots of other problems that need serious attention and quick solutions. To make a long story short, the generosity of God-given nature is not properly received with gratitude, but rather disregarded with careless neglect and indifference. In the face of such a general attitude, President Jokowi goes for a repair approach, demanding that his ministers identify the most pressing challenges, obstacles and unresolved questions. This means — while keeping in mind the long-term goals the ministers are required to tackle — that the most urgent problems must be solved to run the engine of development. Transportation Minister Ignasius Jonan said in a recent interview that ministers had no independent vision and mission. As assistants to the President, they are tasked with translating his vision and mission into operational programs in their respective sectors. As far as transportation is concerned, attention should be given to the people before anything else. Transportation companies should be facilitated with the introduction of a less complicated licensing process. Users deserve better services, whereas operators of vehicles like airplanes, ships and trains should be persuaded to work with a clear motivation. The man behind the gun is number one; the gun and the artillery are secondary. To build 25 new harbors is all well and good, but it will take a long time. It’s better to start doing what is possible using what is already available. On top of all its technical duties, the ministry is responsible for regulation and should not engage in business, as a Tempo article from the Nov. 10-16 edition showed. We should give President Jokowi and his ministers time to prove whether and to what extent a troubleshooting strategy can improve the country’s present state of affairs. The important thing is that the ministers seem prepared to assist a President who wants to serve the people and the country with real work. ●