Explore leadership yang baik (good leadership) and discover the universal qualities that define effective leaders. Learn traits that transcend cultural boundaries.
Written by Laura Bouttell • Sat 10th January 2026
Leadership yang baik—good leadership—combines integrity, vision, empathy, and the ability to inspire others toward shared goals. Whilst leadership expression varies across cultures, certain fundamental qualities transcend geographical and cultural boundaries to define effectiveness wherever leaders operate.
The phrase "leadership yang baik" reflects an Indonesian and Malay perspective on leadership, reminding us that effective leadership is a universal human concern. From Kuala Lumpur to London, from Jakarta to Johannesburg, people recognise good leadership when they encounter it—and suffer the consequences when they don't.
Understanding what constitutes good leadership helps aspiring leaders develop deliberately, helps organisations select and develop talent effectively, and helps communities hold their leaders accountable to appropriate standards.
Good leadership is the ability to guide individuals and groups toward meaningful goals whilst developing their capabilities and maintaining their wellbeing. It combines clear direction with genuine care, high standards with appropriate support, and personal excellence with collective success.
Research across cultures consistently identifies certain qualities as foundational to leadership effectiveness:
| Quality | Definition | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Integrity | Alignment between values, words, and actions | Builds trust that enables influence |
| Vision | Ability to articulate compelling future states | Provides direction and meaning |
| Empathy | Understanding and sharing others' feelings | Enables connection and appropriate response |
| Communication | Clear, effective exchange of information | Coordinates action and builds understanding |
| Adaptability | Flexibility in response to change | Maintains effectiveness across contexts |
| Self-awareness | Understanding of own strengths and limitations | Enables growth and appropriate leadership |
According to Gallup's extensive research, followers consistently seek four things from their leaders:
Leaders who provide these four elements earn commitment that transcends mere compliance.
Integrity forms the cornerstone of good leadership across cultures. Without it, other capabilities become manipulation rather than leadership.
"Integrity is the cornerstone of trust in leadership. Leaders who demonstrate unwavering integrity inspire confidence among their team members."
Integrity manifests through:
Transparency: Being open about decisions, reasoning, and uncertainties Promise-keeping: Following through on commitments reliably Honesty: Telling the truth even when difficult Accountability: Accepting responsibility for outcomes Consistency: Maintaining principles across contexts
Trust accumulates through consistent demonstration of character over time:
Good leaders earn all four types of trust through sustained demonstration rather than claims.
Good leaders provide clarity about direction whilst creating space for contribution to that vision.
Vision is not merely setting goals but creating a compelling picture of possibility that motivates sustained effort toward transformation.
Characteristics of effective vision:
"Your vision will go a long way in defining the organization. If done right, it will appear as a collective vision. Everyone in the organization will feel that they are part of creating the vision."
This insight captures a crucial distinction: imposed vision generates compliance at best, whilst shared vision generates commitment. Good leaders seed vision and enable others to refine, nurture, and promote it as their own.
Vision without communication remains a leader's private dream. Good leaders translate vision into:
The ability to understand and manage emotions—both one's own and others'—distinguishes good leaders from merely competent managers.
Emotional intelligence encompasses:
Self-awareness: Understanding your own emotions, triggers, and patterns Self-regulation: Managing emotional responses appropriately Motivation: Channelling emotions toward productive goals Empathy: Understanding others' emotional experiences Social skills: Managing relationships effectively
"A good leader is able to manage and express their emotions, to show empathy by putting themselves in others' shoes. Understanding the team's emotions and knowing how to manage them is a key part of leadership."
Empathy enables leaders to:
Emotional intelligence can be deliberately developed through:
"Effective communication is the cornerstone of good leadership. It involves conveying information clearly as well as listening actively."
Good leaders communicate effectively across multiple modes:
Speaking: Articulating ideas clearly and compellingly Listening: Understanding what others communicate fully Writing: Documenting thinking with clarity and precision Presence: Communicating through physical expression and attention
Leadership communication goes beyond transmitting information to:
Good leaders communicate directly whilst remaining respectful:
"Good leaders say what they mean and mean what they say. They're not passive-aggressive, nor do they shy away from addressing challenges directly."
This directness builds trust by eliminating the uncertainty of unclear communication.
In environments of constant change, the capacity to adapt becomes essential to sustained leadership effectiveness.
"Remaining receptive to new ideas is a characteristic of a good leader. Instead of resisting change, good leaders are flexible and highly adaptable. They're approachable, and they welcome opinions different from their own."
Adaptable leaders:
"Perhaps the most important characteristic of good leaders is that they're continuous learners. They put their education first, whether through formal learning or through day-to-day attention to other departments and roles."
Good leaders model learning by:
Actions communicate more powerfully than words, making personal example a primary leadership tool.
"You cannot expect of others what you would not expect of yourself. If you expect others to work long hours, you need to work longer. If you expect others to meet deadlines, you need to meet them yourself."
Leading by example requires:
Leading by example has greatest impact in areas where:
Good leadership develops through intentional effort over time.
"Leaders are made, not born. Put another way, leadership is a skill that can be developed. Good leaders are molded through experience, continued study, intentional effort, and adaptation."
This perspective is both empowering and demanding—leadership can be developed by anyone willing to invest the effort required.
Effective leadership development combines multiple elements:
Experience: Learning through challenges that stretch capability Education: Formal learning that provides frameworks and knowledge Exposure: Observing and learning from other leaders Feedback: Understanding how others experience your leadership Reflection: Making meaning from experience through deliberate thought
Whilst core leadership qualities transcend cultures, their expression varies significantly.
Certain leadership dimensions appear universally valued:
However, how these qualities are expressed varies:
| Dimension | Western Expression | Eastern Expression |
|---|---|---|
| Communication | Direct and explicit | Indirect and contextual |
| Decision-making | Individual authority | Collective consultation |
| Relationship focus | Task-first | Relationship-first |
| Hierarchy | Flattened structures | Respected hierarchy |
| Feedback | Direct criticism | Face-saving approaches |
Effective leaders in multicultural contexts:
Leadership yang baik is an Indonesian/Malay phrase meaning "good leadership." It refers to the qualities, characteristics, and behaviours that make leaders effective. Good leadership combines integrity, vision, empathy, communication skill, and the ability to develop others whilst achieving meaningful results.
The most important qualities of a good leader include integrity (alignment between values and actions), communication (clear exchange of information and active listening), empathy (understanding others' feelings), vision (articulating compelling direction), self-awareness (understanding personal strengths and limitations), and adaptability (flexibility in response to change).
Yes, leadership can be learned through deliberate effort. Research confirms that leadership is a skill developed through experience, education, feedback, and intentional practice. Good leaders are made through accumulated experience and continued development, not born with innate capabilities that cannot be acquired.
According to Gallup research, followers need four things from their leaders: trust (confidence in the leader's integrity), compassion (genuine care for their wellbeing), stability (consistency that enables planning), and hope (belief in a better future). Leaders who provide these earn commitment beyond mere compliance.
Culture significantly influences how leadership is expressed and perceived. Core qualities like integrity and competence are universally valued, but their expression varies—Western contexts often favour direct communication and individual decision-making, whilst Eastern contexts may emphasise indirect communication and collective consultation.
Integrity is the cornerstone of effective leadership, enabling the trust that makes influence possible. Leaders demonstrate integrity through transparency, keeping promises, telling the truth, accepting accountability, and maintaining consistency. Without integrity, other leadership capabilities become manipulation rather than genuine leadership.
Develop leadership through multiple approaches: seek challenging assignments that stretch your capabilities, request honest feedback about your impact, study effective leaders, reflect regularly on your experiences, find mentors and coaches, read widely to build knowledge, and practice specific skills deliberately. Leadership development is a lifelong journey requiring sustained investment.