On Leadership with Urai Rogers
From the Q4 Edition of The Executive Exchange Magazine
Urai Rogers, President Director, Dow Chemical Indonesia, has 18 years of experience with Dow Chemical and has been living in Indonesia since 2004. She holds a BS in Accounting and Management from Woodbury University in Southern California. She is the First VP Governor of Amcham Indonesia, chairing the Manufacturing, Trade and Investment Committee and also serving as Chairperson of the Komite Nasional Responsible Care Indonesia (KN RCI).The Executive Exchange: How do you define leadership? What does it mean to Urai Rogers?
Urai Rogers: I believe that leadership is part tactical, part analytical, part situational, and a big part understanding humanity. Great leaders understand the human dynamic/factors that can affect an organization and they manage that also. They are the conveners. Based on their understanding to the challenges their companies face – both business opportunities and threats – they understand where resources are inside and outside the organization, know how to very quickly thread them together and provide enough working space to allow people to make decisions, act and adjust accordingly.
Those people who have demonstrated the role of being fully present – who really bring mindfulness to their work – have been great inspirations for me. They have a quality that inspires people to work with, be with, or trust the path of the leader. I think this has a lot to do with the feeling that people have in the presence of that person, of the sense they are seeing things as they are and not through a set of mental models that are essentially filters or biases. That the leader is not in it for his or her personal motives, but rather that there is a deeper purpose that this person manifests through the level of attention they are bringing to their work. If they set a direction, they do it without delusions, that it is clear and mindful and present. People can’t often distinguish this in a conscious way, although it is undoubtedly what draws them to a leader. That is the kind of leadership to which I aspire.EE: What is your style of leadership and management?
UR: As a manager, I’ve always tried to make it possible for those who report to me to have fun and be creative in solving problems, and I’ve seen my role primarily as obstacle-remover. And that as far as leadership goes, it doesn’t need to be tied to management, and it’s about setting direction and giving guidance and so on. I lead by positive example and endeavor to foster a team environment in which all team members can reach their highest potential, both as team members and as people. I encourage the team to reach team goals as effectively as possible, while also working to strengthen the bonds among the various members.Unlike leadership approaches with a top-down hierarchical style, my country leadership style is real simple. I emphasize collaboration, trust, empathy, and the ethical use of power. The objective is to enhance the growth of individuals in the organization and increase teamwork and personal involvement.
EE: Who was one of your most influential mentors, and why?
UR: People often ask about mentors. And you know, I know it’s kind of good practice nowadays to go find a mentor, and figure out who your mentor should be. And I don’t think that in my early professional life there was that recognition. So I never had the experience of kind of looking at the array of people I knew, and try to sort of say well, who do I want to be my mentor? Having said that, I have had them. And some have found me because they found value in the work. I produced quality work. Whatever I did came to their attention. I developed a reputation as someone you could count on who could get it done and who did high-quality stuff. And people gravitate to performance. I think that is the best kind - most genuine way to develop the mentoring relationship.
The mentor helped me think differently about certain situations, helped me see more opportunities and possibilities, increased my confidence and encouraged me to stretch myself.
My most influential mentor is my mother, for her ability to teach me the value of encouragement and unconditional love.
EE: How has your multicultural background and experience helped you to become an effective leader?
UR: I was born in Thailand, raised and worked in California. So I have been much better prepared for the rich cultures in Indonesia. And my past overseas assignments have definitely made it easier for me to adopt the adaptive style to deal with the diverse team and to quickly gain a sense of community with people. Dow is a great company where the entire workforce is free to learn from one another and be inspired by the values that underline many faith traditions – hope, optimism and gratitude. So it’s not hard for me I walk the talk and do this by example. This open environment creates a workplace where people bring their “whole selves” to work and feel that they are free to be themselves. And as a result, we have happy people, and happy people are more productive and creative.
EE: What are the most challenging country-specific issues that you deal with in leading Dow Chemical in Indonesia?
UR: Doing business successfully without being friends is one of the most difficult things to accomplish. In Indonesia, it is not done, in general, to be blunt or too direct. Indonesians often feel that it doesn't feel good to say what is on their mind. It might offend the other party and make him or her loose face. The result is that you may think the deal is done, while in fact your partner is not in full agreement with all the terms. You will find out later when those parts of the agreement are ignored or cause problems.You need to take time and lots of time in getting to know your Indonesian business partners –building up a strong relationship which is considered more important than the deal itself. And for the same cause, I have learned to keep being as outspoken and direct in a business meeting at home.
EE: As a foreign female executive, how do you see the opportunities for Indonesian women to become leaders in business as compared to women in other countries in SE Asia?
UR: More women in Asia are gaining recognition for their work and play key roles in all facets of life and in key professions and in society at large. Indonesian society is generally open to women playing important roles in business and government.
However, the statistic still shows that women make up one third of the labor force in this country, which roughly about 100 million but only less than 0.2% of top-level jobs in the corporate world – directors and above – are filled by women. It is telling that women are generally absent from corporate boardrooms where their contribution would be most beneficial.
Women across the globe share very similar concerns – access to capital, education and training, opportunities to build a supportive network of partners and mentors and the desire to be taken seriously as a female business executive. These are common issues and challenges faced by women in a leadership role. Another reality is that women have to be just a little better at their jobs to succeed. They need to stretch beyond their expected responsibilities and take on additional responsibilities and complexity to advance their careers. They need to be willing to learn on the fly for the new skills that can help them move to the next level, to consider a new position or role, to travel globally to conduct business or build relationships and to regularly ask for new challenges.
EE: What are the most rewarding aspects of doing business in Indonesia?
UR: My greatest reward in life is to believe I've made a difference. Through companies and associations in Indonesia, I have great opportunities working together with many talented business people and bright entrepreneurs to create a platform on which to make a difference in a country’s specific issues in trade or just to improve people’s day-to-day living.It's in this fashion that together we are able to create a platform on which to make that difference.
EE: What advice would you give to a new executive arriving in Indonesia?
UR: I'd advise the individual to go out and learn as much as possible about people and human behavior - observe people, learn the language. Secondly, always ask a second question about what someone has been telling you, whatever it is. Thirdly, show interest in what others have said and build relationships like nothing else.
EE: Tell me about the work of KN RCI and your role within it.
UR: KN RCI is the National Responsible Care which is part of the Global chemical industry’s environment, health and safety (EHS) initiative to drive continuous improvement in environment, health, safety and security performance, sustainable development and “doing the right thing.” Responsible Care is an ethic and a commitment that seeks to build confidence and trust in the chemical industry that is essential to improving living standards and the quality of life. An important part of the Responsible Care’s Global Charter is governance and harmonization of Responsible Care worldwide.The Dow Chemical Company is more than 100 years old and the company EHS culture was forged by the founder of the company many years ago. So I am delighted to be the steward of EHS culture in Indonesia. It’s a privileged to chair the KN RCI Leadership group to provide oversight, guidance and to help the association use the best Responsible Care’s Global Charter implementation approaches.
I am also very proud to be part of KN RCI team who share the same passion and common commitment to advancing the safe and secure management of chemical products and process.
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Dow Chemical Indonesia
Dow started operations in Indonesia in 1973 doing manufacturing, import and distribution of chemical, plastic and agricultural products and services. Along with economic and industrial growth in Indonesia, the company began producing agricultural chemical in Medan, North Sumatra, followed by polystyrene and styrene butadiene latex in Merak, Banten province.
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