This document analyzes the leadership style of Joko Widodo, the governor of Jakarta, Indonesia. It identifies 10 attributes of his leadership based on his actions as governor and the theories of servant leadership by Robert Greenleaf. These attributes include listening to others, empathy, awareness, effectiveness, risk-taking, stewardship, healing, innovation, and persuasion. Overall, it concludes that Jokowi's leadership model demonstrates servant leadership, with a focus on serving others above himself.
2. Less than a year being the Governor of
Jakarta, Indonesia, Joko Widodo - or more
popularly as Jokowi, has done a
phenomenal range of measures, both in
the field of governance and public
services.
Jokowi’s actions are sometimes hard to
guess, but they are essentially done for the
benefit of society. Such model of
leadership has been coveted Indonesian
society, and therefore interesting to be
analyzed based on real evidence and
theoretical background.
June, 2013
Awang Anwaruddin
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4. 4
Listen to the advice or opinions of
others may be the most prominent
traits in Jokowi’s leadership.
Listen actively, not passively, is a
powerful leadership skills to
demonstrate the attention of public
issues.
According to Robert Greenleaf (1970):
"Only a true natural servant (leaders)
automatically respond to any problem
by listening first."
5. 5
Empathy to the feelings or
suffering of others is another
characteristic that stands out
Jokowi’s leadership.
When a big flood in Jakarta in
2012, Jokowi plunge into
disaster areas to the assistance
to be given and to share in the
suffering of the flood victims.
6. 6
Awareness is very strong in Jokowi’s
leadership. When giving a speech in
Batavian dialect at the Jakarta
Anniversary celebration of the 64th
last June, Jokowi apologize for his
Javanese dialect.
His awareness to the local culture
should also be appreciated when he
pioneered the use of Betawi clothes
during working hours.
Without awareness, said Greenleaf
(1970), "We miss leadership
opportunities."
7. 7
Jokowi often conducts inspections and
gives directions to employees on how
to work professionally in carrying out
government tasks and delivering
public services.
As Ted Johns (2008) states: "A leader
takes people where they want to go. A
great leader takes people where they
do not necessarily want to be, but
ought to be. '
8. Effectiveness is one of Jokowi’s
leadership attribute, started by
building consensus, dividing tasks
clearly, and then monitoring the
implementation of the work to be
successful as planned.
Menurut Greenleaf (1970): “Effective
servant-leader builds group
consensus through ‘gentle but clear
and persistent persuasion, and does
not exert group compliance through
position power’.”
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9. 9
Choosing to be the Governor of Jakarta
other than being the comfort Mayor of Solo
clearly proves that Jokowi is a risk-taker. In
addition to flooding and congestion, various
problems have plagued Jakarta over the
years such as poverty, squalor and fire
indicating the lack of public services and
rampant corruption.
But, as indicated by John Garner (1990):
"What leaders have to remember is that
somewhere under the somnolent surface is
the creature that builds civilizations, the
dreamer of dreams, the risk taker."
10. 10
Stewardship or giving comfort to the
surroundings is Jokowi’s strategy to obtain
'trust' from them. No wonder that Jokowi
soon earned such various nicknames as
Betawi’s citizen, Journalists’ friend, or
Public Protector.
As Grenleaf (1970) once mentioned:
“Organizational stewards, or ‘trustees’ are
concerned not only for the individual
followers within the organization, but also
the organization as a whole, and its impact
on and relationship with all of society.”
11. 11
Healing, defined by Greenleaf (1970)
as "to make whole," performed by
leaders by recognizing and
understanding the real needs of the
community in order to match the
proper service to provide.
Such strategy implemented by Jokowi
resulted in pro-people policies as the
Jakarta Health Card, Relocation of
people living near the water reservoir,
Betawi People's Party, etc.
12. 12
Innovation, according to Green, Howells
and Miles (2002), is "doing something
new, like starting a practice or process,
creating a product (goods or services), or
adopt a pattern of inter-relationship or
organization."
Open selection for sub-district and village
heads of Jakarta conducted in June 2013 is
a testament to Jokowi’s innovation to
improve governance business process and
to provide the best public service.
13. 13
"Persuasion," said Craig Van Slyke
(2013)," is a key leadership skills that can
change attitudes, behaviors, and even the
beliefs of others."
Jokowi’s skill of persuasion has been
proven since he served as Mayor of Solo,
and continued when persuading 7,000
families living in Pluit Reservoir to move to
a more feasible housing. Such leadership
style is also applied when Jokowi relocated
street vendors at hectic areas of Pasar
Minggu, Pasar Djatinegara, Glodok, and
Tanah Abang.
14. 10 leadership attributes that have been
discussed show that Jokowi leadership model
tends to lead to a 'Servant Leadership.'
Proposed in 1970 by Robert Kiefner Greenleaf
(1904-1990), Servant Leadership is a
theoretical framework advocating service to
others as primary motivation of a leader.
In addition, as Larry Spears (1966) says,
“Servant leadership is new kind of leadership
model which puts serving others as the number
one priority. Servant-leadership emphasizes
increased service to others; a holistic approach
to work; promoting a sense of community; and
the sharing of power in decision-making.”
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15. 15
NAME Awang Anwaruddin is currently the Head of Research & Development
Centre of Information System and Public Administration Automation
(SIOAN), the National Institute of Public Administration (LAN), the
Republic of Indonesia. Beside working as a structural official, he is also
teaching in several education and training programs for civil service.
Apart of his bueraucratic work, Awang writes various articles on Public Administration
and presents them in several national and international seminars. Some seminars that
he attended and gave a speech, among others, the Launching NAPSIPAG Conference in
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (2004), the 2th NAPSIPAG Conference in Beijing, PR China
(2005), the 3rd NAPSIPAG Conference Sidney, Australia (2006), the IIAS/IISA Int
Congress, 2010, Nusa Dua, Bali (2010), the 7th NAPSIPAG Conference in Kerala, India
(2010), and the A4FPM International Conference in Surabaya, Indonesia (2012).
Beside being published by several journals, Awang’s articles were also published by
Asian Development Bank (Manila, 2005), and Springer (New Delhi, 2013)