To
understand leadership, we must dig deep into the core. Leadership is a
biological, psychological and socially-constructed characteristic and
capability.
Many findings of social constructivists, however,
argue that social factors shape leadership characteristics more than
biological and psychological factors do. Correspondingly, it is
interesting to examine the leadership characteristics of Indonesian
presidents from Soeharto to the incumbent, President Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono (SBY).
Many people may not realize that the incumbent
Indonesian President has much in common with one of the best living
generals in the US, current CIA Director David Petraeus. First, the two
were raised in a disciplined family: SBY is the son of an Army officer,
while Petraeus is the son of a Dutch sailor. Both went to their
country’s military academies, holding top positions during their cadet
years. While SBY graduated from the Military Academy in Magelang in
1973, Petraeus graduated from the Military Academy, West Point in 1974.
Upon
their commission as army officers, both married the daughter of their
respective military academies’ commandants. SBY married the daughter of
Lt. Gen. Sarwo Edhie Wibowo, then the governor of the Magelang Military
Academy; Petraeus married the daughter of Lt. Gen. William Knowlton, the
Superintendant of West Point.
Subsequently, they also went on to
the US Army Ranger — Airborne course in Fort Benning, Georgia where
they qualified in Special Forces. Both were also assigned to the elite
US Army Airborne Division, 82nd Airborne Division.
At that time,
SBY did his on-the-job training as a military student on attachment
from the Indonesian Army. After some time in their career paths, like
any other US army officers, SBY and Petraeus went on to the US Army
Command and General Staff College (Seskoad) in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
Upon
their graduation from this great military school, they returned to
serve their own countries until they reached the positions of commanders
of airborne divisions, territorial commands and being involved in
multinational forces.
While SBY led the Army Strategic Reserve
Command (Kostrad) 17th Airborne Division, the Yogyakarta Military Resort
Command, and was an observer for Indonesian peacekeeping forces in
Bosnia and the Sriwijaya Military Command; Petraeus rose to become
commander of the 82nd Airborne Division, US Central Command overseeing
the Middle East, and International Security Assistance Forces (ISAF) in
Afghanistan. Due to his relative success in bringing stability to Iraq
and Afghanistan, Petraeus is called in Iraq “King David”.
Apart
from field experience, the two are famous in their respective countries
as thinking generals and were often entrusted with drafting important
military policies. While SBY holds a doctoral degree from the Bogor
Institute of Agriculture, Petraeus has his PhD from the prestigious
Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton
University.
Not only that, the two also share leadership
experience that has catapulted them to state jobs outside their military
assignments. SBY was twice appointed a minister under two different
presidents; Petraeus was appointed Director of the CIA by President
Obama in 2011.
In the US, not all great battle-tested generals
can succeed in jobs outside the military. A phenomenal general in World
War II, Douglas McArthur, resigned from his position as the Commander of
United Nations Command (Korea) after his disagreement with President
Truman over the Korean War; Gen. Stanley McChrystal resigned in 2010
from his post as the Commander of ISAF after his disagreement with
President Obama and former US Pacific Command chief Adm. Dennis Blair
quit in 2010 from his job as Director of National Intelligence.
Gen.
James Jones, a former commander of the US Marine Corps and NATO,
stepped down in the same year from his position as a National Security
Adviser to the president.
There is only one significant
difference between SBY and Petraeus. While SBY decided to turn to
politics and was elected President twice, Petraeus refused to become a
politician and decisively turned down an offer to contest the 2012 US
presidential election.
Obviously SBY has everything that
Petraeus possesses, but not the other way around merely because unlike
SBY, Petraeus is not a commander-in-chief of his country. This could be a
sign; however, as to whether excellent military leadership experience
is suitable for political leadership.
Some argue that SBY was a shrewd military general, but not fit for political jobs where the sense of hierarchy is blurred.
Practical
politics contradicts the military chain of command where hierarchy is
clear and subordinates have to obey commands, respect their leaders and
address their voices in a well-mannered way.
It was the capacity
to move in two different realms: Military and political that made Gen.
Eisenhower a great US president. Unlike his West Point classmate, Gen.
McArthur, Eisenhower knew how to become a true politician and successful
president. History shows president Eisenhower was successful in
building post-war Europe, restoring the US economy after World War II
and building the nationwide freeway transportation system connecting the
entire US mainland, among many other achievements.
Eisenhower
successfully exercised effective leadership, with most of his policies
well-supported and implemented by his administration, local governments
and the US Congress, including when dealing with the resistance of the
Arkansas governor regarding his courageous policy to protect minority
Afro-American students in 1957.
It is not too much for the
people of Indonesia and the international world to expect Gen. Yudhoyono
to do more for his country, surely more than what Gen. Petraeus can do
for the US.
Only two years are left before Yudhoyono ends his
term in 2014. He is racing against time to achieve a lot — issues in
Papua, corruption, religious freedom, minority rights and the
acceleration of economic development, among other things.
History
will show whether Yudhoyono is just a clever military general who tried
his luck as a politician or he is truly a great military leader who
succeeded as a civilian, democratically elected president like Gen.
Eisenhower.
The writer currently, a PhD Fulbright
Presidential Scholar at the GMU School of Public Policy, was an
International Fellow at the US National Defense University, Washington
DC in 2007.