In late 2014, the newest Tanoto Scholar Association Leadership Workshop welcomed participants to Bogor in West Java, Indonesia, for a learning and personal development series that was anything but routine. Tanoto Scholars represent some of the best and brightest young men and women in Indonesia; they are the recipients of several higher education scholarships offered through the nonprofit Tanoto Foundation. The foundation additionally hosts a variety of skill-building events, like the Leadership Workshop, which are designed to help participants succeed in academia and the fast-paced business world.
At the 2014 workshop, attendees took on several challenges, including a ropes course and a “soloing” activity in which they each spent a night in the nearby woods equipped with supplies to make camp and prepare rice over a paraffin stove. Armed with tips on safety, the campers learned through this activity to face their anxieties and build self-confidence and self-reliance.
The workshop also included a session on setting ambitious yet accessible goals as a leader, in the same way that Sukanto Tanoto, the self-made entrepreneur who established the Tanoto Foundation, learned to do on his own way to success. Attendees came to realize that flexibility, determination, and the ability to practice active listening are vital characteristics of a good leader. In addition, they picked up information on best practices in proposal writing, including the components of budget preparation, design, and evaluation.
Through his support of the TSA Leadership Workshop and a wide range of other educational and entrepreneurial development projects, Sukanto Tanoto strives to alleviate the effects of poverty for people throughout Indonesia, particularly those living in under-resourced communities. His belief in the primary importance of education, and his commitment to assisting the next generation of business and professional leaders, have already made significant progress toward solving the problem.