JAKARTA - Actress and filmmaker Dian Sastrowardoyo has recently spent more time behind the scenes, developing her business ventures in culinary arts, fashion, photography, and film.
Most of Dian’s employees are women, which has inspired her to delve deeper into understanding and embracing female leadership styles over male ones. To strengthen her leadership skills, she has immersed herself in biographies and books on leadership.
“I’ve discovered that women have a very distinct leadership style. It’s more family-oriented, with a greater appreciation for the process rather than just the end result,” said Dian during a live podcast session of Ngobrol Sore Semaunya at the Pesta Rakyat untuk Indonesia 2025 held at Smesco Indonesia, Jakarta, on Friday (August 22, 2025).
Pesta Rakyat untuk Indonesia 2025 was held by PT HM Sampoerna Tbk. (Sampoerna) on August 22–23, 2025, to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Republic of Indonesia and to celebrate Sampoerna’s 112-year journey in Indonesia.
This event was a tangible reflection of Sampoerna’s commitment to strengthening the economic independence of the people by improving human resource quality and empowering micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
According to Dian, a leadership style that focuses more on the process than on the results is more human-centered. It also fosters a team dynamic that feels like a family, where every individual plays a vital role in the business operation.
“Because women have maternal instincts, team members feel like family. Each team member feels heard and appreciated,” Dian added.
By building strong relationships within the team, Dian believes productivity naturally increases. In her experience, team members don’t just complete their tasks - they’re even willing to go above and beyond.
In the live podcast session, Dian was joined by Putri Tanjung, Director at Transmedia and host of Ngobrol Sore Semaunya. Both women serve as clear examples of how women can excel and innovate in their fields while making a meaningful impact on others.
This aligns with Sampoerna’s commitment, as the organizer of the Pesta Rakyat untuk Indonesia 2025, to enhancing the quality of human resources, both for its employees and business partners, through a range of training and development programs.
These initiatives aim to equip individuals with relevant skills to strengthen personal competencies, foster innovation, and create a productive and inclusive work environment - especially for women.
At Sampoerna, women currently hold 37.5% of director and head-of-department positions. The company has also held its EQUAL-SALARY certification since 2018 and has continued to maintain it to this day.
The role of women in a company is highly crucial. However, it must also be accompanied by hard work, as Dian shared. For instance, when she had to immerse herself in a new role as a bookworm character.
Dian felt she had to read a lot of books to truly understand the character’s mindset. But her responsibilities as a mother and wife left her little time. As a result, she had to sacrifice sleep and stay up late every night.
“I sleep every day at 2 or 3 in the morning - after everyone else in the house has gone to bed. That’s the only time I have for myself. I often read in the bathroom or use a flashlight in the bedroom, so I don't disturb anyone,” Dian said.
That’s why Dian encourages all working women - whether entrepreneurs or employees - to never give up.
“To all women in Indonesia who are finding themselves through work or any pursuit: yes, you can do it. You have it in you. You got this. You’re better than you think,” said the Universitas Indonesia philosophy graduate.