By Aulia R. Sungkar. Originally published in The Jakarta Post, on April 4, 2015
Gunawan Susanto adopts participative leadership to drive his team to reach new heights.
Learning is a never ending process is a powerful philosophy that helps build a strong business team, as demonstrated by Gunawan Susanto along his journey to the top post at IBM Indonesia.
‘I started my career with the company as a management trainee. I didn’t know much about IT, so I had to learn. Later, I found my passion for sales and gradually developed my IT knowledge,’Gunawan said as he recalled the start of his 14-year career with IBM.
Also known by his nickname ‘Gun’, the Taurus who turns 36 next month is the current and youngest ever president director of IBM Indonesia.
He is responsible for the strategic direction of the US-based giant in the archipelago, including overseeing its Jakarta, Surabaya and Bandung offices’ business operations covering sales and distribution, procurement, global delivery and support functions.
With a presence in more than 170 countries, IBM is now heading in a different direction. This is where Gun’s leadership is expected to shape the future of the company’s presence in Indonesia.
‘The brand was once big for its PCs. The industry has seen a lot of changes and we are now shifting to cloud. We are selling solutions with cloud infrastructure as our service,’he said.
IBM also focuses on big data and analytics, especially in the banking and retail sectors. ‘We are also developing apps for the travel industry. We are also building a partnership with Twitter in terms of providing analytical service for this social media platform,’he added.
It takes a lot of work along the way for the company to build a new future. For Gun, leading some 700 people is no easy task either. But he believes it is feasible with the power of delegation. He has 16 people who report directly to him.
‘Delegation can help free up your time and helps others in the team grow and develop their full potential. But it won’t work unless you delegate the task to the right person with the right skills.
‘I want everyone on the team to get involved because I strongly believe each has his or her own creativity and thinking. I always welcome new ideas as long as they can be aligned to the company’s vision. It’s a democratic leadership and that’s my management style.’Another way to describe his leadership style is participative, as he emphasizes involvement and engagement within his team.
In overcoming challenges faced in the company’s daily operations, Gun can extend a discussion into a debate. ‘I want input and feedback that is genuine. I never get upset, even when I receive harsh criticism, so long as it’s a constructive. I don’t like a ‘yes man’ attitude from a subordinate because this person will not give their best ideas to the team.
‘Having to agree to disagree is also part of his democratic ways. Good teamwork also meant having disagreements, he added. ‘But they also must be objective so we can pave the way for a win-win solution, so as to benefit every individual on the team and the whole team representing the company.
‘Without a positive mindset, you will let yourself lose before starting the battle’
The key to being a successful contributor to a team, he further explained, was the willingness to learn. He cites the role of a salesman as an example. ‘When I was in sales, I learned a lot from the technical support division, especially in resolving customers’ problems. Sales is not just the art of selling, but we provide solutions to our customers. Getting to know your customer is not enough. You have to understand their problems, too.’
Gun summed up the three most important leadership criteria that he hopes will bring IBM Indonesia to the next level ‘a positive mindset, the right attitude and discipline.
‘Without a positive mindset, you will let yourself lose before starting the battle. The right attitude is important because it is what determines your character. I value attitude more than skill. A skill can be taught. A positive attitude is built over time and it takes discipline to succeed.’
The three criteria require determination and persistence with the willingness to learn to achieve success.
He reported to his interview before joining IBM.
One of the senior staffers asked me, ‘What is your passion?’ I said, ‘Learning. I’m just a fresh graduate and willing to learn more’. He replied, ‘Here in this company is where you’ll endlessly learn, grow and develop,’ Gun recalled.
