The Influence of Innovative Leadership, Organizational Trust, and Work Engagement on Principal Performance

Principal performance has a significant impact on the quality of education in a school. This study aims to analyze the influence of innovative leadership, organizational trust, and work engagement on the performance of school principals at the junior high school level in Bogor Regency. This study uses a quantitative approach with an explanatory survey method. Data were collected through a Likert scale-based questionnaire from 68 principals selected by random cluster sampling method. Data analysis was conducted using path analysis to identify direct and indirect relationships between the variables studied. The results showed that innovative leadership has a positive influence on organizational trust, organizational trust has an effect on work engagement, and work engagement has an effect on principal performance. This research contributes to the educational leadership literature as well as providing insights for policy makers in an effort to improve the effectiveness of principal leadership.