Depok, 18 November 2025 — The Social and Cultural Innovation (SoCI) and Digital Tax Administration (DTA) Research Clusters of the Faculty of Administrative Sciences, Universitas Indonesia (FIA UI), once again implemented a community service program titled “Strengthening Self-Leadership and Competitiveness of MSMEs in Depok City.” The activity was held in the Smartclass Room, 3rd Floor, Building M, FIA UI, and involved collaboration with the Regional Leadership of the Indonesian Muslim Women Entrepreneurs Association (PD IPEMI) of Depok City.

The first session on Self-Leadership was delivered by Prof. Dr. Dra. Retno Kusumastuti Hardjono, M.Si., who explained that self-leadership is a fundamental foundation for MSME actors. Self-leadership encompasses the ability to manage emotions, behavioral discipline, self-control, goal setting, and self-evaluation. According to Prof. Retno, self-leadership not only affects individual motivation and well-being, but also enhances team effectiveness and overall organizational productivity.

Next, Prof. Dr. Milla Sepliana Setyowati, S.Sos., M.Ak., presented material on MSME Competitiveness, emphasizing the importance of business capability in achieving competitive and comparative advantages through innovation, resource management, and the use of digital technology. She explained that digitalization can open access to broader markets, strengthen supply chains, and increase business resilience under various economic conditions.

In the welcoming session, the Chair of PD IPEMI Depok City, Mrs. Rosmawary Ismail, expressed her appreciation for the activity.

“Thank you for the opportunity, this is the second time we have learned here again. On this occasion, we came with the leadership and members of IPEMI Depok City. Our hope for this activity is that we can exchange information and strengthen leadership, especially for branch committees that were newly established in October 2025,” she said.

Prof. Milla stated that after mastering the basics of financial record-keeping, the next equally important step for IPEMI business actors is building competitive advantage to maintain existence and growth amid market dynamics.

“If previously we shared insights on simple financial record-keeping, today we will learn together about the urgency for businesses in general to have competitiveness. Competitiveness is a necessity so that the businesses of IPEMI members can survive under various economic conditions by having competitive and comparative advantages in the products and services offered,” she explained.

Prof. Retno emphasized the importance of understanding the dynamics that occur within an organization. According to her, both leaders and team members need to view every challenge as a learning space.

“The lessons learned that we gain empirically and theoretically show that in organizational management, friction is inevitable. We apply a utilitarian principle, making decisions that have greater positive impact for many people through strengthening self-leadership, whose impact is holistic on individuals, teams, and organizations,” she stated.

Through this community service program, FIA UI reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the empowerment of MSMEs, particularly groups of women entrepreneurs, so that they are able to adapt, innovate, and continue to grow amid increasingly dynamic competition. This activity represents FIA UI’s academic contribution to strengthening leadership capacity, business management, and MSME readiness to enter an increasingly competitive digital era.

As additional information, the program was attended by 35 participants from the Regional Leadership (PD) of IPEMI Depok City, PD members, Branch Leadership (PC) from all sub-districts in Depok City, as well as representatives of PC members. The activity was designed to strengthen the leadership capacity of women MSME actors and enhance business competitiveness in facing economic challenges and digitalization.