President Commissioner of PT Modernland Realty Tbk, Dharma Mitra, emphasized that true leadership requires direct involvement in real-world problems, rather than relying solely on theories. Speaking at the launch of his new book Street Leadership: Inspiration of Leadership Models from the Streets on Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025.

Dharma argued that leaders must be willing to face risks and hardships alongside the people. “During floods or public protests, I always went down to the ground. Solving problems is part of being a leader. There are risks you could be attacked but that is the consequence,” he spoke to Indonesia Business Post.

Dharma, who has been involved in Modernland’s land management projects in Cikande, Banten Province (1,200 hectares) and Bekasi, West Java (800 hectares), stressed that leadership should be rooted in practical experience. “If you don’t go to the field, the impact will not be real. Knowledge should not only be from the skies, but also grounded,” he noted.

He also criticized gaps in the education system, which he said fail to teach essential values such as prayer, dreams, and resilience. “We are taught to work, but not to dream. No curriculum teaches prayer, or how to endure hardship. Without that, people won’t know how to overcome difficulties,” he explained.

Dharma argued that today’s younger generation, often labeled the “strawberry generation,” is too fragile compared to previous ones. “When Wi-Fi goes down, they panic. In the past, if our plastic ball broke, we patched it. Now people just buy a new one,” he said.

In his book, Dharma also introduced the concept of the “sky algorithm” a belief that sincerity, prayer, and giving can create blessings beyond material logic. “If we give one and expect two, sometimes we only get half. But if we give two and expect one, sometimes we receive two. If we expect five, and accept it sincerely, the result can be infinite. That’s blessing,” he said.

His career, he added, has been built on taking on roles others avoided, including legal, IT, and human resources, much of which he learned autodidactically. “I always took jobs people didn’t want. That’s how I grew,” Dharma said.

Dharma, who recently earned his master’s degree in law, said prayer and a commitment to benefit others remain his guiding principles. “Every religion teaches that the best person is the one who benefits others. It’s not just about money, but about thinking for the greater good, like solving floods. That too is charity,” he said.

Originally written for his family, Street Leadership was released on his 50th birthday in May. Dharma now hopes the book can inspire a wider audience.