AFFIRMATION OF ISLAMIC BOARDING SCHOOLS AS LEADERSHIP SCHOOLS: A VISION FROM WITHIN

Islamic boarding schools have a long history and a very strategic role in shaping the character of the nation. For centuries, Islamic boarding schools/pesantren have been known as a place to produce scholars, community leaders and national leaders. The role of Islamic boarding schools as a leadership school is increasingly important in this modern era. In the context of pluralism and complex social dynamics, there is a need for leaders with good leadership skills supported by good morals. Islamic boarding schools with deep religious values and a distinctive education system are capable of producing leaders with these characteristics. However, there are still many questions that need to be answered regarding the role of Islamic boarding schools as a leadership school, such as: How does Islamic boarding schools apply leadership values in its curricula and daily activities? What are the challenges faced by Islamic boarding schools in producing leaders in the modern era? and how do graduates of Islamic boarding schools contribute to leadership in various sectors? The research adopts a qualitative approach exploring various curricula documents, such as daily activities and educational programs implemented in Islamic boarding schools, to answer the questions posed above. Through spiritual leadership, for example, students learn to be ethical leaders with qualities such as empathy, compassion and humility while by community leadership, Islamic boarding schools emphasize shared responsibility as students take on leadership roles, improve their interpersonal skills, teamwork and time management abilities, and learn flexibility, adaptability, problem solving and decision making. The diverse experiences and knowledge that Islamic boarding schools provide to their students as seen in real life can be evidence that Islamic boarding schools are leadership schools. Keywords: pesantren - Leadership - Curriculum - Spiritual leadership - Community leadership