Islamic Education Leadership Model in The Postmodern Era: A Synthesis of Entrepreneurial Leadership, Visionary, and Transformational Change

The contemporary Islamic educational landscape faces fundamental disruption due to the clash between rigid modernist bureaucracies and the volatility of the postmodern era. This study aims to formulate a new leadership model capable of bridging this gap. Employing a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) with the PRISMA 2020 protocol on 62 selected articles (2002-2025), this research applies a three-stage thematic synthesis analysis. Bibliometric findings reveal a sharp dichotomy: Western literature dominates the discourse on postmodern structures, while Indonesian literature dominates the integration of theological values. The synthesis of these two poles yields the “Leader as Ecosystem Architect” conceptual model. This model redefines the leader’s role from a “commander” to an “environment designer” who integrates entrepreneurial agility, participatory vision, and transformational influence. The novelty of this research lies in anchoring the model with a theological trinity: Syura (co-creation of narrative), Ijtihad (mandate for innovation), and Amanah (moral legitimacy). Managerial implications demand principals to shift teacher Key Performance Indicators from administrative compliance to innovative initiative (Ijtihad), treating measured failure as part of the organizational learning process.