(JP/Wahyu Wida)It’s not easy managing a handful of employees, with their different personalities, egos and demands. Multiple that number into the thousands, and the task looms as a supremely daunting one.

Although Ning Wahyu Astutik knows the difficulties of handling a huge workforce, she has crafted a successful career in the labor-intensive and male executive-dominated manufacturing industry.

The general manager of shoe manufacturer PT Pratama Abadi Industry has proved that through her people-focused leadership style and, to an extent, the advantage of being a woman, she is capable of coping with workforce-related problems, customers and business.

Ning became as the manufacturing director at the Korean-owned company in 2007. She was appointed the GM in July 2012, with the main responsibility of developing healthy growth in the company. It operates two factories: 17,000 workers are employed at its plant in Tangerang and 6,800 workers at one in Sukabumi, West Java.

Colleagues praise the mother of three’s level-headed approach to handling situations.

“I would say hers is ‘situational leadership’. She looks and observes the situation and has the right approach to that circumstance,” said the firm’s lean system director Winai I.

”She fully understands the capabilities of people. She will find the right ingredient to serve her customers and customize approaches to situations. She knows how to pick the right person and expand her trust to other people.”

”Some people say that she is everybody’s mom, because she emotionally bonds and cares for people,” said Franky Han, who formerly worked under Ning.

”I remember when she placed a great deal of trust in me to manage a new brand business from zero. It was an example of her belief in the power of trust, but not blind trust. She always encourages people to develop and gives them more opportunities or more responsibilities.”

Ning says she enjoys dealing with people, believing the best approach is to lead by example in instilling a genuine spirit of working honestly and professionally among her employees.

The opportunity to make change and create a better company for stakeholders is the most interesting part of being a GM, she said.

“As a ramp up company with a lot of new workers and a new environment, there is an opportunity to set the right culture so that the company can grow differently,” said the slim woman.

“As a producer of the world’s top brand of shoe, PT Pratama has to keep producing new models to meet changing demands, which involves various complexities and therefore a flexible workforce is required. So why are people important? Shoe manufacturing is a labor intensive industry and so relies more on its people. Great people can make great products. This means that the right recruitment process, development and talent retention will support this happening and therefore collaboration between divisions is absolutely key to success.”

One of the issues at the Sukabumi plant is that 90 percent of the workers are locals who are in the transitional stage from their agricultural background and mindset to an industrial focus. She emphasizes the importance of communication and understanding local culture in overcoming the problem.

“As a local, I can communicate at all levels, on the shop floor or in meeting rooms. Employees also have more confidence and openness to discuss with me their difficulties and their expectations of leadership, without being afraid of being misunderstood,” she said.

“So it’s easier to detect the real root causes that will lead the team and myself to create a more precise and sustainable solution.”

While many women executives shy away from drawing attention to their gender, Ning said it was an advantage in difficult situations.

“As a female, I have a different approach to problem solving. I care about the result as well as the progress. In such situations, it is important to care about both, instead of just the result,” she said.

Her management style is to focus on doing the right thing, dare to make a difference, transparency, adopting mutual trust and respect. The style has benefited her in running the company because it has created what she calls “a green working environment”.

“Team members must dare to bring problems to the surface so that we can focus on solutions. They must also dare to contribute ideas, even if they are crazy, out of the box ideas, which are able to support better operational systems and/or implementation. And of course, with such a management style, the solidity of the team is very strong.”

Family values

Ning acknowledges the deep influence of her upbringing on her personality and approach to management. Self-confidence, respect for others, transparency, open-mindedness and other positive values were nurtured by her parents when she was a child.

“There were so many guests for my late father almost every day, who would ask him for advice, discussions and blessings. We were asked to greet the guests, no matter what level, in a highly respectful manner. I was encouraged to communicate with the guests. I learned about respecting others and gained confidence in facing many different kinds of people,” said Ning.

“We were raised in a democratic way in which we were taught to tell the truth, be brave to deliver ideas, give constructive criticism to brothers and sisters no matter if they were older or younger, or even to our parents, and we also learned how to react. This inspired me to construct management strategies aimed at how to be transparent, reach transparency and keep an open mind to differences.”

She said one of her favorite activities was to donate to charities, and she has a greater goal beyond being a successful businesswoman. Ning says her all-consuming passion is people, and doing the best for them, beginning with the nation’s youngest citizens.

“I pray every day that God will give me a chance to do the right and meaningful thing for more and more people. Then with all my experience, I dream of one day becoming the education minister,” she said.

Name: Ning Wahyu Astutik
Place and date of birth: Kediri, East Java, April 13

Education

• Bachelor of English at the English Teacher Education Institute (now Universitas Negeri Malang), Malang, graduated 1993

• Magister Management, majoring in marketing strategy, Institute of Business Economics and Finance, Jakarta (now UTIRA) in cooperation with the Institute of Business Economics and Finance at Pittsburgh State University – graduated 2001

Experience

July 2012 – present: GM of PT Pratama Abadi Industry, PMA Shoe Manufacturing December 2007 - June 2012: Business Director of PT Pratama Abadi Industry, PMA Shoe Manufacturing
July – November 2007: Supporting Management of PT Sinar Timur Industrindo (PT Pratama Abadi Industry Group), PMA - Shoe Bottom Components Industry
January - June 2007: Manufacturing Director of PT Pratama Abadi Industry
May – December 2006: Marketing Director of PT Agung Pelita Industrindo ( PT Pratama Abadi Industry Group ), PMA Shoe Components Industry  
2004 – 2006: Marketing Director of PT Korin Technomic, PMA Shoes Tooling & Component Industry
1997 – 2002: Marketing Director of PT Korin Technomic, PMA Shoes Tooling & Component Industry
1995 – 1997: Marketing Manager of PT Framas Plastic Technology, PMA Shoes Component Industry  
1993 – 1995: Marketing member of staff of PT Karet Murni Jelita, PMA Shoes Manufacturing

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