Pemimpin itu engine. Pemimpin itu turun di lapangan. Pemimpin itu memantau perkembangan dari hari ke hari. Pemimpin menguasai permasalahan, pemimpin mencari solusi untuk mengatasi permasalahan itu. Pemimpin tidak boleh berjarak dengan yang dipimpin. Pikirannya, hatinya, bersama yang dipimpin. Artinya mengetahui what’s going on.

Teknologi penting, saya tahu, informasi penting. Tetapi, akhirnya yang memenangkan pertempuran adalah mentalitas dan kemampuan kalian mengarungi medan-medan yang berat dalam melaksanakan tugas-tugas pertempuran itu.

Yang namanya mau merdeka, keluar dari Negara Kesatuan Republik Indonesia itu bukan freedom of speech, bukan hak asasi. Itu ya separatisme, harus dihentikan, hukum ditegakkan. Saya mengatakan kepada para pemimpin dunia, Indonesia memiliki hak dan kewajiban untuk menjaga kedaulatan kita, untuk menjaga keutuhan wilayah kita.

Confidence can be the first pillar of defense in any situation. If one has confidence, it does not matter what crisis you face. You will overcome or at least minimize the impact of the crisis.

Unity means not only getting along with one’s neighbors, but also having the ability to mobilize one’s resources. Unity means being able to move forward together, and to act in tandem with one another. Unity means being able to think as a community, not as individuals, being able to think in terms of the greater good and looking forward beyond the immediate future.

The most durable kind of change is that which is people-driven. In each of our transitions - from colonialism to independence, to development and to democracy – the political order lasted because there was a significant degree of public support. And in fact, it was only when a particular regime lost the public that the system crumbled and gave way to the next one.

There are only a handful of countries that have experienced what Indonesia has endured: financial crisis, political instability, separatism, ethnic conflicts, terrorism and natural disasters. Given the array of challenges that confronted us, what Indonesia has become today is nothing short of remarkable. Indonesia today is a country with a different Islam, democracy and modernity can go hand in hand.

I believe that multiculturalism is not just a source for tolerance, but also the key to progress and peace. If we can inculcate such a thriving civilization in our country, I strongly believe that regardless of whatever challenges come our way in the future–a political crisis, economic downturn, social turbulence– Indonesia will ultimately have the resilience to adapt and overcome.

As we surge towards Indonesia 2045, those who will lead us must have special qualities. To begin with, they will need to exercise transformational, rather than transactional, leadership. This means forward- looking leaders who will continue to transform the nation across sectors. They will need to have a higher risk-appetite and the courage to challenge old assumptions, while coming up with new ideas that suit present- day challenges.