Humanist and Visionary Leadership for Inclusive Excellence: A Case Study of Inclusive Higher Education Practices

This study examines how humanist and visionary leadership contributes to inclusive excellence at Universitas Muhammadiyah Sumatera Utara (UMSU), Indonesia, by identifying leadership values that drive institutional transformation. Employing a qualitative case study design, the research involved 32 participants and utilized in-depth interviews, observations, and document analysis to explore how leadership practices shape inclusive policies and institutional culture. The findings identify four core leadership values: (1) a proactive mindset that anticipates institutional and stakeholder needs; (2) high-spirited engagement demonstrated through sustained support for inclusive initiatives; (3) visionary leadership manifested in measurable long-term programs and strategic expert recruitment; and (4) humanist approaches that mitigate resistance to change and enhance empathy-based decision-making. This study makes an original contribution by proposing an empirically grounded model of inclusive leadership within the context of Indonesian higher education, a setting that remains underrepresented in global scholarship. The findings demonstrate how values-driven leadership can transform conventional academic environments into disability-inclusive ecosystems, even under conditions of limited resources. The proposed framework offers practical implications for inclusive policy formulation, leadership development, and multi-stakeholder collaboration in higher education institutions. Keywords: Inclusive Excellence; Higher Education Leadership; Visionary Leadership; Humanist Leadership; Inclusive Policy; Disability Inclusion.