MEDAN | INDATANEWS.COM - North Sumatra Deputy Governor Surya has emphasized the importance of adaptive and integrity-driven leadership capable of bringing about tangible changes within organizations and society. He reminded participants of the Level II National Leadership Training (PKN II) not to regard completing the training as the end of the learning process, but rather as the starting point for implementing the ideas and innovations they had gained in their respective fields of work.
Surya delivered the message on Friday, September 25, 2026, at the closing ceremony of the 2026 XII Cohort of the Level II
National Leadership Training (
PKN II), held at the Raja Inal Siregar Hall on Jalan Diponegoro No. 30, Medan.
On the occasion, Surya said the success of PKN II participants could not be measured solely by the certificates they received upon completion. In his view, the results of the training must instead be reflected in the implementation of ideas that provide concrete benefits to the public and create tangible impacts.
"The success of
PKN II is not measured by the certificate being presented today, but by the extent to which these ideas are actually implemented and provide tangible benefits to the public,"
Surya said.
Integrity as the Foundation of Good Leadership
Surya also called on participants to make integrity the most important foundation in carrying out their duties as public officials. He shared his own experience of participating in leadership training alongside the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) and the National Institute of Public Administration (LAN).
According to Surya, understanding the technical aspects of governance is important, but such knowledge represents only one of the factors determining a leader's success. More fundamental, he said, is conscience and an inner sense of responsibility.
"Integrity means honesty, and honesty represents what is good, both in conduct and in actions that do not violate applicable regulations. Integrity is a standard that we must uphold consistently," he stressed.
Surya said a leader who consistently upholds integrity has a solid foundation for carrying out responsibilities in governance. Therefore, he expressed hope that all PKN II graduates would apply the knowledge, experience and leadership values gained during the training to their daily work.
According to
Surya, implementing the lessons learned from the training is essential to strengthening the quality of governance while also driving changes whose impacts can be directly felt by the public.
INTEGRITY AS THE FOUNDATION OF LEADERSHIP: North Sumatra Deputy Governor Surya emphasizes the importance of integrity as the foundation of responsible leadership in carrying out government duties. (PHOTO: Alexander AP Siahaan)
Leaders Must Continue Learning
The Deputy Head for Learning Transformation of State Civil Apparatus at the National Institute of Public Administration of the Republic of Indonesia (LAN RI), Erna Irawati, explained on the same occasion that leaders should possess four key competencies. These include the ability to lead themselves, lead others, manage performance and manage change.
Erna explained that the rapid changes taking place today are presenting the bureaucracy with increasingly complex challenges. These challenges involve not only technological developments and digital transformation, but also the ability of organizations to adapt to various crisis situations.
Therefore, leaders must foster a culture of continuous learning, or "Continuous Learning." In Erna's view, a leader's willingness to keep learning plays a significant role in determining how effectively an organization can respond to change.
"The key to change is learning. When a leader stops learning, their organization will also stop growing. A good leader is someone who creates a sustainable legacy that begins with a transformation process," Erna said.
Erna also reminded participants not to conclude their change projects when PKN II ends. She encouraged them to continue and further develop the projects created during the training and ensure that they provide concrete benefits for organizations and society.
According to her, change projects emerging from the leadership training process must become part of efforts to improve governance. In this way, innovations developed by the participants should not remain merely as training documents, but should evolve into programs that create tangible impacts.
CALL FOR LEADERS TO KEEP LEARNING: Deputy Head for Learning Transformation of State Civil Apparatus at the National Institute of Public Administration of the Republic of Indonesia (LAN RI), Erna Irawati, calls on leaders to continue learning and ensure that change projects provide concrete benefits for organizations and society. (PHOTO: Alexander AP Siahaan)
49 Participants Complete
PKN IIThe Head of the Human Resources Development Agency of North Sumatra Province (BPSDM Sumut), Agustinus Panjaitan, explained in his report that the 2026 XII Cohort of PKN II carried the theme "Adaptive Leadership in Transforming Disaster Management Governance to Realize Resilience and Regional Competitiveness."
The leadership training lasted more than four months, from May 20 to September 25, 2026. A total of 49 participants from various institutions took part in the training program.
The participants included officials from the North Sumatra Provincial Government, the Attorney General's Office of the Republic of Indonesia, several regency and city governments in North Sumatra, as well as regional administrations outside North Sumatra, including Kampar Regency and West Pasaman Regency.
Agustinus also announced the final results of the XII Cohort of
PKN II. Of the 49 participants, 48 were declared to have successfully completed the program, while one participant had to postpone completion due to health reasons.
"Of the total 49 participants, 48 were declared to have passed, while one participant's completion was postponed due to illness," Agustinus said.
In addition to attending leadership training sessions, the participants also took part in a visit under the National Leadership Excursion (VKN) program. Unlike previous cohorts, in which participants visited so-called best-practice locations, participants of the XII Cohort of
PKN II were invited to directly examine the post-disaster situation in South Tapanuli Regency.
The activity gave participants an opportunity to directly engage with disaster management issues. Based on the results of their field study, they subsequently formulated several recommendations aimed at improving disaster management governance and restoring living conditions for affected communities.
The recommendations included strengthening data-driven disaster prevention and preparedness, protecting and assisting vulnerable groups following disasters, transforming leadership through collaboration and the use of local knowledge, as well as restoring public services following disasters.
The 2026 XII Cohort of PKN II was subsequently concluded with the recognition of the five top-performing participants. In addition, the participants submitted Policy Briefs containing policy recommendations to regional governments as one of the outcomes of their training and field research process.
The submission of these recommendations is part of efforts to further develop the ideas generated during
PKN II and use them as a basis for formulating government policies. The main focus includes adaptive leadership, improved disaster management governance, and strengthening regional resilience and competitiveness.
(IDNC)REPORTER: Ahmad Zulfikar | EDITOR: Fik Sagala