Leadership is not merely about occupying a position; it is about building the capacity to inspire, to decide with clarity, and to mobilize people toward shared goals. In my journey as a digital leader, I have been fortunate to learn directly from figures who have proven their resilience and wisdom at the highest levels of corporate leadership. One such moment came when I had the opportunity to engage in a mentoring session with Pak Hexana T. Sasongko, the President Director of Indonesia Financial Group (IFG).
Pak Hexana is a leader whose track record spans decades across the financial sector, steering institutions through both growth and turbulence. Yet what struck me most during our conversation was not simply his achievements, but the structured way in which he approaches the core challenges of leadership. From stakeholder management to strategic thinking and disciplined decision-making, his insights carried both practical clarity and philosophical depth.
In this Leaders Talk, I would like to share the three main lessons I took away from my conversation with him—lessons that continue to shape the way I lead at PosDIGI and in the broader digital transformation journey.
Lesson One: Stakeholder Management as the Art of Influence
When I asked Pak Hexana about what it takes to lead a complex organization, he immediately turned the discussion toward stakeholders. Leadership, in his view, is not about commanding from the top but about orchestrating an ecosystem of interests, each with its own priorities, language, and expectations.
He emphasized that effective stakeholder management begins with mapping. Leaders must identify who the key players are—whether regulators, shareholders, employees, customers, or partners—and then map them not only by power and interest but also by influence, alignment, and potential resistance.
But mapping alone is insufficient. Stakeholder management is about priority management. Leaders do not have unlimited bandwidth; instead, they must decide who needs attention now, who can be engaged later, and who requires constant nurturing. It is a process of triage—recognizing that neglecting one critical relationship could derail an entire initiative.
Pak Hexana also underscored the importance of tailoring approaches. What convinces a regulator may not persuade an investor; what motivates employees may not resonate with partners. Leadership requires an ability to switch communication styles and adopt multiple perspectives without losing authenticity.
Finally, he described stakeholder management as a continuous act of strategic networking and persuasion. It is not about transactional exchanges but about building credibility over time, so that when you speak, others listen—not because they must, but because they trust your judgment.
For me, this conversation reinforced why in leading a digital subsidiary within a large state-owned enterprise, I cannot view stakeholders as “external.” They are the very lifeblood of the ecosystem. Whether I am engaging regulators for compliance, shareholders for governance, or partners for collaboration, the ability to map, prioritize, and tailor my approach determines the velocity of our progress.
Lesson Two: Strategic Thinking as a Discipline
When the conversation shifted toward strategy, Pak Hexana spoke with a precision that reminded me of the frameworks I encountered during my executive education at IMD. He described strategy not as a static plan, but as a discipline composed of four stages: situation analysis, formulation, implementation, and evaluation-control.
What impressed me was how he framed strategy as both analytical and creative. Situation analysis, he said, requires leaders to dive deeply into data—market trends, competitor movements, customer behavior—yet it also demands the humility to recognize blind spots. Formulation is about setting ambitious but realistic goals, balancing vision with feasibility.
But strategy, in his words, “dies on the table if it is not implemented with discipline.” Implementation requires mobilizing people, aligning resources, and establishing accountability. This is where leadership becomes execution, and where many well-crafted strategies fall apart.
Lastly, evaluation and control ensure that strategy does not remain rigid. In a volatile environment, leaders must regularly test assumptions, measure outcomes, and be willing to pivot when necessary. Strategic thinking, therefore, is less about predicting the future with certainty and more about preparing the organization to adapt intelligently.
As I reflected on this lesson, I saw its direct relevance to digital leadership. In PosDIGI’s growth journey, we operate in a landscape where technology evolves faster than regulation, where customer expectations shift rapidly, and where competition comes not only from traditional players but also from agile startups. In such an environment, strategic thinking cannot be a once-a-year exercise; it must be embedded into the culture of leadership.
Lesson Three: Structured Decision-Making
Perhaps the most memorable part of our mentoring session was when Pak Hexana explained his philosophy of decision-making. In his words, “a leader must be decisive, but decisiveness without process is recklessness.”
He described his approach as structured decision-making, built on four pillars:
- Non-permissive approach: Avoiding the temptation to approve every idea or proposal without scrutiny. Leaders must set a high bar and demand rigor.
- In-depth analysis and data utilization: Decisions should be grounded in facts, not gut feelings alone. Data provides the foundation, though judgment still plays a role.
- Thorough documentation: Every decision, especially at the strategic level, should leave a trail of reasoning. This ensures accountability and creates learning material for the future.
- Objectivity without vested interests: Leaders must remove personal bias and consider only what serves the organization’s mission and stakeholders.
For me, this reinforced the idea that leadership is not about speed alone, but about quality. In the fast-paced digital world, there is often pressure to move quickly and “fail fast.” Yet Pak Hexana reminded me that while agility is important, recklessness can cost credibility, trust, and even survival.
At PosDIGI, I have seen how a structured decision-making process—documented, data-driven, objective—helps align teams, reduces ambiguity, and strengthens stakeholder confidence.
Reflections on My Own Journey
As I left that mentoring session, I carried with me not only notes but also a renewed sense of responsibility. It is one thing to admire the wisdom of a seasoned leader; it is another to integrate those lessons into one’s daily practice.
Pak Hexana’s words reminded me that leadership is less about charisma and more about structure. Stakeholder management, strategic thinking, structured decision-making—these are not glamorous topics, but they are the bedrock of enduring leadership.
In leading PosDIGI, a company that has achieved consecutive 50% year-over-year growth, I have seen how these principles are not abstract theories. They are lived realities. Every stakeholder conversation, every strategic pivot, every decision-making process is an opportunity to apply what I learned from leaders like him.
Closing Thoughts
In today’s fast-changing world, we often look for quick fixes and inspirational slogans. But true leadership, as exemplified by Pak Hexana T. Sasongko, rests on something more enduring: structure, discipline, and clarity.
My hope is that this Leaders Talk inspires not only reflection but also action. Whether you are leading a team, a company, or even just your own personal journey, the lessons of stakeholder management, strategic thinking, and structured decision-making remain timeless.
Because at the end of the day, leadership is not about titles—it is about the ability to make others believe in the journey you are leading them on.