Prabowo Subianto wrote about leadership in his book “Military Leadership Notes from Experience Chapter I”. He mentioned a valuable lesson he learned from Pak Mohammad Noer, also known as Cak Noer. According to Cak Noer, the task of a leader is simple – to work so that the poor and pitiful can laugh.
Cak Noer, a former ambassador for France, was known for his closeness to the people during his time as Governor of East Java. Prabowo had the opportunity to discuss with him, especially regarding agricultural issues in Indonesia. They shared similar views on rural economic development and the importance of providing a better income for farmers.
One of the leadership lessons Prabowo learned from Cak Noer was to create conditions that make people smile. Cak Noer emphasized the importance of ensuring that the poor are able to smile, as it signifies their well-being and ability to overcome poverty. This lesson had a profound impact on Prabowo and became his motto in political campaigns – to work towards making the people of Indonesia, especially the poor, smile.
