Why Values, Not Profits, Built Indonesia’s Most Trusted Brand
- Cassandra Nadira Lee
- Feb 5
- 2 min read
LIFT Newsletter 014
Read time: 3 mins
Content includes: Business, profit, growth, leadership
In times like these with wars, economic uncertainty, and fractures in trust everywhere, I keep asking myself: What really anchors leadership?
Strategies shift. Markets change. Technology disrupts. But what holds steady?
The answer, I’ve found, is values.
A Different Kind of Leadership
Many companies chase quarterly results at the expense of people. Growth is prioritized even when it erodes trust, culture, or community.
ParagonCorp in Indonesia chose differently.
In my interview with its co-founder, Pak Salman Subakat, he shared how the company anchored its growth on Islamic values of sincerity, integrity, and service. That wasn’t just branding — it was a commitment that showed up in how they treated employees, shaped products, and built community.
It wasn’t the faster or easier path. But today, ParagonCorp isn’t just one of the most successful cosmetic companies in Southeast Asia — it’s also one of the most trusted.
Why This Matters for Us
Values-based leadership isn’t a “soft” idea. It has hard results:
For business: Trust drives brand loyalty that money can’t buy.
For employees: A culture of integrity creates belonging and purpose.
For community: Leadership that serves, uplifts.
But here’s the harder question for all of us:
If your employees looked at your last three big decisions — would they see your values, or just your KPIs?
Listen Directly to the Story
Pak Salman’s words carry more weight than any summary I could write. His reflections reminded me that values are not a “nice-to-have” in uncertain times — they are the compass.
With clarity in values,
Cassandra & the LIFT Team
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