Dia bukan tidak punya inisiatif, tetapi indikatornya belum jelas.

This is a common Indonesian way to make a statement more nuanced or indirect.

bukan tidak punya inisiatif literally looks like not not having initiative, but the real effect is closer to:

• It’s not that he/she lacks initiative
• It’s not that he/she has no initiative
• It wouldn’t be fair to say he/she has no initiative

So the speaker is rejecting a simple negative judgment. It often sounds more careful, diplomatic, or analytical than a direct positive statement.

A useful basic rule is:

• tidak negates verbs and adjectives
• bukan negates nouns, pronouns, and often an entire idea/assumption

In this sentence:

• tidak punya = does not have
• bukan tidak punya inisiatif = it is not the case that he/she does not have initiative

So bukan is not just negating one word. It is rejecting the whole idea tidak punya inisiatif.

That is why Dia tidak tidak punya inisiatif would sound wrong or very unnatural here.

Yes, you could, but the nuance changes a little.

• punya inisiatif = have initiative
  This is natural and common.
• memiliki inisiatif = also have initiative, but more formal or stiff
• berinisiatif = to take initiative / be proactive

So:

• punya inisiatif focuses on having that quality
• berinisiatif focuses a bit more on showing initiative in action

In this sentence, punya inisiatif works well because the speaker is evaluating whether that quality is present.

indikator means indicator, benchmark, metric, or sometimes criterion, depending on context.

The ending -nya can do a few things in Indonesian. Here it most likely makes the noun sound definite or context-linked:

• indikatornya = the indicators, the criteria, or the relevant indicators

So the idea is that the standards or signs used to judge the person’s initiative are not clear yet.

In this sentence, -nya probably does not mean his/her indicators in a literal possession sense. It more likely means the indicators relevant to this issue.

This is an important difference.

• tidak jelas = not clear / unclear
• belum jelas = not clear yet

belum adds the idea that the situation may change later. So belum jelas suggests:

• the indicators are unclear for now
• they may become clear later

That makes belum a very natural choice here, because the sentence sounds like an ongoing evaluation or discussion.

tetapi means but.

It introduces a contrast:

• The issue is not that the person lacks initiative
• but the indicators are not clear yet

Yes, tapi is also possible. The difference is mainly style:

• tetapi = more formal or neutral in writing
• tapi = more casual, very common in speech
• namun = also however/but, often a bit more formal or polished

So this sentence sounds slightly formal because it uses tetapi.

Dia is gender-neutral in Indonesian.

It can mean:

• he
• she

You need context to know which one is meant.

This is very normal in Indonesian. Unlike English, Indonesian pronouns usually do not force you to mark gender.

Yes, it sounds natural, especially in a workplace, academic, evaluation, or formal discussion context.

Why it sounds somewhat formal or analytical:

• inisiatif is a fairly formal abstract noun
• indikator is common in professional or technical language
• bukan tidak ..., tetapi ... is a careful, nuanced structure
• tetapi is more formal than tapi

A more casual spoken version might be something like:

• Bukannya dia nggak punya inisiatif, cuma indikatornya belum jelas.

That version is more conversational, while the original sentence sounds more polished and formal.