Name: Widya Putra

Title: CEO

Oranisation: Meatless Kingdom

Widya Putra is a passionate entrepreneur and scientist dedicated to bringing delicious and sustainable plant-based food to Indonesia. He is the CEO and co-founder of Meatless Kingdom, a company that develops and sells a variety of plant-based meat alternatives made primarily from mushrooms.

Thank you to the 2,000 leaders who’ve generously done the 7 Questions on Leadership!

I hope Widya's answers will encourage you in your leadership journey. Enjoy!

Cheers,

Jonno White

1. What have you found most challenging as a leader?

1. Making tough decisions: As a leader, sometimes I faced difficult choices to have a significant impact on my team, organization, or even the broader community. These decisions can be complex and require careful consideration of all the potential consequences.

2. Manage people, with different characteristics of people. We need to know how to handle/treat each person

2. How did you become a leader? Can you please briefly tell the story?

I become a leader because of my choice of life. I want to start my own business and from there, I have mission and vision to realize it.

3. How do you structure your work days from waking up to going to sleep?

Usually, I already plan my task one day before on my personal calendar. In the morning, after wake up, I start with reading some news from online newspaper, take bath and breakfast. Go to office until the afternoon sometimes evening. Then sometimes doing some exercise, have family time with my son. Then continue to work again 1-2 hours before sleep

4. What's a recent leadership lesson you've learned for the first time or been reminded of?

1. Leadership is never ending process of learning until we die

2. As a leader, you need to become role model

5. What's one book that has had a profound impact on your leadership so far? Can you please briefly tell the story of how that book impacted your leadership?

"Man of Honor: Kehidupan, Semangat, dan Kearifan William Soeryadjaya" Based on the book I learn the experiences of William Soeryadjaya, the founder of Astra International:

1. Integrity Above Everything: believed in maintaining high ethical standards and integrity, regardless of the circumstances. He emphasized the importance of building trust and credibility through honesty and transparency.

2. Hard Work and Perseverance: William Soeryadjaya's success was built upon years of hard work and unwavering dedication. He faced numerous challenges and setbacks throughout his life, but he never gave up. His resilience and determination serve as an inspiration for many.

3. Giving and Generosity: William Soeryadjaya was known for his generosity and commitment to philanthropy. He believed in giving back to the community and supporting those in need. His actions exemplify the importance of compassion and social responsibility.

4. Building Companies with Purpose: William Soeryadjaya saw companies as more than just profit-generating entities. He believed that businesses should strive to create jobs, contribute to society, and improve the lives of others.

5. Failure is a Learning Experience: William Soeryadjaya acknowledged that setbacks are inevitable in business. He viewed failures as opportunities for learning and growth, encouraging individuals to learn from their mistakes and move forward.

6. If you could only give one piece of advice to a young leader, what would you say to them?

Never Give Up, Work Hard to Achieve Your Dream. When your dream is not about you but for the goodness of many people, you will find huge energy to fight for it.

7. What is one meaningful story that comes to mind from your time as a leader, so far?

In my company, many staff are orphans, so they are the backbone of their families. For me, it is an honor to be a blessing to them.