Digital-Era Leadership In Indonesia: Challenges And Strategies For Navigating Global Information Warfare
Abstract
Abstract
Era digital telah memunculkan ancaman perang informasi yang mengganggu stabilitas politik, sosial, dan keamanan nasional. Indonesia menghadapi tantangan serius berupa disinformasi, polarisasi, dan lemahnya regulasi digital, sehingga menuntut kepemimpinan yang adaptif dan visioner. Penelitian ini bertujuan menganalisis tantangan kepemimpinan Indonesia dalam menghadapi perang informasi global serta merumuskan strategi penguatan kepemimpinan digital. Metode penelitian menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif dengan analisis normatif dan studi kepustakaan, dengan kerangka teori kepemimpinan transformasional dan perspektif keamanan non-tradisional. Analisis menunjukkan bahwa kepemimpinan digital di Indonesia masih terbatas akibat rendahnya literasi digital, kapasitas sumber daya manusia yang lemah, dan fragmentasi kebijakan, namun terdapat peluang melalui penguatan regulasi perlindungan data, pembangunan ekosistem literasi digital, dan kolaborasi hexa-helix. Kajian ini menegaskan celah kajian yang masih terbatas dalam mengintegrasikan kepemimpinan digital, kepemimpinan transformasional, dan keamanan non-tradisional dalam konteks resiliensi informasi Indonesia. Penelitian ini menyimpulkan bahwa efektivitas kepemimpinan digital Indonesia terletak pada integrasi visi transformasional, tata kelola inklusif, dan pemanfaatan teknologi modern untuk menjaga kedaulatan informasi serta memperkuat resiliensi nasional.
Kata Kunci: kepemimpinan digital, perang informasi, strategi nasional, regulasi, resiliensi.
Abstract
The digital era has introduced the threat of information warfare that disrupts political, social, and national security stability. Indonesia faces major challenges such as disinformation, polarization, and weak digital regulations, demanding adaptive and visionary leadership. This study analyzes Indonesia’s leadership challenges in dealing with global information warfare and formulates strategies for strengthening digital leadership. It employs a qualitative, literature-based normative analysis framed by transformational leadership theory and the perspective of non-traditional security. The analysis indicates that Indonesia’s digital leadership remains constrained by low digital literacy, weak human resource capacity, and fragmented policies, yet opportunities exist through strengthening data protection and platform accountability, developing a digital literacy ecosystem, and fostering hexa-helix collaboration. Addressing a gap in integrative scholarship, this article links digital leadership, transformational leadership, and non-traditional security to propose a coherent strategy for national information resilience. The study concludes that effective digital leadership lies in integrating a transformational vision, inclusive governance, and modern technology to safeguard information sovereignty and reinforce national resilience.
Keywords: digital leadership, information warfare, national strategy, regulation, resilience
References
Andajani, K., Karmina, S., & Rahmania, L. A. (2024). Inclusive, Sustainable, and Transformational Education in Arts and Literature: Proceedings of the 7th International Seminar on Language, Education, and Culture, (ISoLEC, 2023), July 07—08, 2023, Malang, Indonesia. Taylor & Francis.
Andrade, R. O., Yoo, S. G., Tello-Oquendo, L., & Ortiz-Garcés, I. (2020). A Comprehensive Study of the IoT Cybersecurity in Smart Cities. IEEE Access, 8, 228922–228941. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2020.3046442
APJII. (2025). Indonesian Internet Service Providers Association—Survey. https://survei.apjii.or.id/
Banakar, R., & Travers, M. (2005). Theory and Method in Socio-Legal Research. Bloomsbury Publishing.
Benkler, Y., Faris, R., & Roberts, H. (2018). Network Propaganda: Manipulation, Disinformation, and Radicalization in American Politics. Oxford University Press.
Bennett, W. L., & Livingston, S. (2018). The disinformation order: Disruptive communication and the decline of democratic institutions. European Journal of Communication. https://doi.org/10.1177/0267323118760317
Biddlestone, M., Azevedo, F., & Linden, S. van der. (2022). Climate of conspiracy: A meta-analysis of the consequences of belief in conspiracy theories about climate change. Current Opinion in Psychology, 46, 101390. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2022.101390
Bradshaw, S., & Howard, P. N. (2019). The Global Disinformation Order: 2019 Global Inventory of Organised Social Media Manipulation [Report]. Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford. https://comprop.oii.ox.ac.uk/research/cyber-troops-2019/
Buil, I., Martínez, E., & Matute, J. (2019). Transformational leadership and employee performance: The role of identification, engagement and proactive personality. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 77, 64–75. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2018.06.014
Cinelli, M., De Francisci Morales, G., Galeazzi, A., Quattrociocchi, W., & Starnini, M. (2021). The echo chamber effect on social media. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 118(9), e2023301118. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2023301118
Dijck, J. van, Poell, T., & Waal, M. de. (2018). The Platform Society: Public Values in a Connective World. Oxford University Press.
Farkas, J., & Schou, J. (2023). Post-Truth, Fake News and Democracy: Mapping the Politics of Falsehood (2nd ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003434870
Gerhardt, M. (2018). Congress’s Constitution: Legislative Authority and the Separation of Powers. https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/polq.12781
Grabe, M. E., & Bucy, E. P. (2022). Moral panics about the integrity of information in democratic systems:Comparing tabloid news to disinformation. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/08838151.2022.2120482
Heifetz, R. A. (2009). Leadership Without Easy Answers. Harvard University Press. https://doi.org/10.4159/9780674038479
Hennink, M., Hutter, I., & Bailey, A. (2020). Qualitative Research Methods. SAGE.
Herrera-Viedma, E., López-Robles, J.-R., Guallar, J., & Cobo, M.-J. (2020). Global trends in coronavirus research at the time of Covid-19: A general bibliometric approach and content analysis using SciMAT. Profesional de La Información, 29(3). https://doi.org/10.3145/epi.2020.may.22
Humprecht, E., Esser, F., & Aelst, P. V. (2020). Resilience to Online Disinformation: A Framework for Cross-National Comparative Research. The International Journal of Press/Politics. https://doi.org/10.1177/1940161219900126
Kalpokas, I. (2019). Algorithmic Governance: Politics and Law in the Post-Human Era. Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-31922-9
Kraus, S., Durst, S., Ferreira, J. J., Veiga, P., Kailer, N., & Weinmann, A. (2022). Digital transformation in business and management research: An overview of the current status quo. International Journal of Information Management, 63. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2021.102466
Lee, S. M., & Trimi, S. (2021). Convergence innovation in the digital age and in the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. Journal of Business Research, 123, 14–22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.09.041
Lim, M. (2025). Social Media and Politics in Southeast Asia. Cambridge University Press; Cambridge Core. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108750745
Lindsey, T., & Butt, S. (2018). Indonesian Law. Oxford University Press.
Marzuki, M. (2017). Legal Research: Revised Edition. Medium Pregnancy.
Nugroho, H. Y. S. H., Wahyuningrum, N., Basuki, T. M., Supangat, A. B., Auliyani, D., Indrajaya, Y., Lisnawati, Y., & Samawandana, G. (2025). Sustainable Resilience for Integrated Watersheds Management Under Climate Change: Lesson Learned from Indonesia. In S. C. Pal, U. Chatterjee, A. Saha, & D. Ruidas (Eds.), Climate Change: Conflict and Resilience in the Age of Anthropocene (pp. 303–327). Springer Nature Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-85359-3_13
Ong, J. C., & Cabañes, J. V. (2018). Architects of Networked Disinformation: Behind the Scenes of Troll Accounts and Fake News Production in the Philippines [Report]. Newton Tech4Dev Network. https://newtontechfordev.com/newton-tech4dev-research-identifies-ad-pr-executives-chief-architects-fake-news-production-social-media-trolling/
Przeybilovicz, E., & Cunha, M. A. (2024). Governing in the digital age: The emergence of dynamic smart urban governance modes. Government Information Quarterly, 41(1). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.giq.2023.101907
Pulido, C. M., Villarejo-Carballido, B., Redondo-Sama, G., & Gómez, A. (2020). COVID-19 infodemic: More retweets for science-based information on coronavirus than for false information. International Sociology. https://doi.org/10.1177/0268580920914755
Sawy, O. A. E., Kræmmergaard, P., Amsinck, H., & Vinther, A. L. (2020). How LEGO Built the Foundations and Enterprise Capabilities for Digital Leadership. In Strategic Information Management (5th ed.). Routledge.
Schissler, M. (2025). Beyond Hate Speech and Misinformation: Facebook and the Rohingya Genocide in Myanmar. Journal of Genocide Research. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14623528.2024.2375122
Sinpeng, A. (2019). Digital media, political authoritarianism, and Internet controls in Southeast Asia. Media, Culture & Society. https://doi.org/10.1177/0163443719884052
Soderborg, S., & Muhtadi, B. (2023). Resentment and Polarization in Indonesia. Journal of East Asian Studies, 23(3), 439–467. https://doi.org/10.1017/jea.2023.17
Soekanto, S., & Mamudji, S. (2015). Normative Law Research: A Brief Review (Edition 1 of the 12th Edition (2010, reprinted 2015)). PT RajaGrafindo Persada.
Soto-Acosta, P. (2020). COVID-19 Pandemic: Shifting Digital Transformation to a High-Speed Gear. Information Systems Management. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10580530.2020.1814461
Sousa, M. J., & Rocha, Á. (2019a). Leadership styles and skills developed through game-based learning. Journal of Business Research, 94, 360–366. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2018.01.057
Sousa, M. J., & Rocha, Á. (2019b). Leadership styles and skills developed through game-based learning. Journal of Business Research, 94, 360–366. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2018.01.057
Spohr, D. (2017). Fake news and ideological polarization. Business Information Review. https://doi.org/10.1177/0266382117722446
Tomsa, D. (2020). Public Opinion Polling and Post-truth Politics in Indonesia. Contemporary Southeast Asia, 42(1), 1–27. https://doi.org/10.1093/ia/iiz010
von Solms, R., & van Niekerk, J. (2013). From information security to cyber security. Computers & Security, 38, 97–102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cose.2013.04.004
Wardle, C., & Derakhshan, H. (2017). Information Disorder: Toward an interdisciplinary framework for research and policymaking (Report No. DGI(2017)09). Council of Europe. https://rm.coe.int/information-disorder-toward-an-interdisciplinary-framework-for-researc/168076277c
Wu-Ouyang, B., & Hu, Y. (2025). Internet Freedom and Social Media’s Political Consequences: Political Nationalism and Authoritarian Orientation Among Six Asian Societies. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly. https://doi.org/10.1177/10776990241313183
Zeike, S., Bradbury, K., Lindert, L., & Pfaff, H. (2019). Digital Leadership Skills and Associations with Psychological Well-Being. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(14). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16142628
Zhang, X., Wang, Z., Luo, W., Guo, F., & Wang, P. (2025). How Digital Orientation Affects Innovation Performance? Exploring the Role of Digital Capabilities and Environmental Dynamism. Systems, 13(5). https://doi.org/10.3390/systems13050346






























