Employee engagement is an essential indicator of a company's performance, as employees' dedication and enthusiasm are often manifested in their work. Even though we are still in a pandemic situation, employee engagement can still be improved through virtual meetings, as implemented by Behn Meyer Indonesia.

As the closure of this year's Employee Engagement Programme, Behn Meyer Indonesia tried to establish closeness with each other virtually through a sharing session with President Director of Behn Meyer Chemicals, Mr Adhita Susilardjo. This sharing on “Inspiring Leader’ is the second and last internal engagement programme for BM Indonesia in 2021, following Mr Teddy Candinegara’s talk on “Teamwork.” In this session, Mr Adhita talked about leadership, which has always been an essential part of today's organisation and business.

This virtual event was held on 20th December 2021 and was attended by approximately 122 Behn Meyer employees in Indonesia. Mr Adhita touched on the crucial pillars of being a leader, which includes the ability to inspire his team members, the agility in coming up with strategies when faced with challenges, and the drive to shape a culture fitting to the organisation. He mentioned that leadership is a skill that we need at all times; however, it is critically required when dealing with difficult situations. To add, Mr Adhita also shared the practical things a leader can do when he/she is faced with such a predicament.

"It's hard enough to lead when the wave is calm. So, when you have to lead when it's stormy, things can be a bit scary," he said. During the session, Mr Adhita even played one of his favourite songs, "You Will" by Jennifer Hudson - a song about perseverance and doing one's best despite the odds.

The participants were enthusiastic and actively asked questions in the discussion session. From what was conveyed during the session, we learnt that being a leader means having humility, sincerity, trust, courage, empathy, and teamwork.