Entrepreneurial leadership in educational settings: A systematic literature review from 1996 to 2025

This systematic literature review on Educational Entrepreneurial Leadership (EL) aims to consolidate existing knowledge, address inconsistencies, and clarify EL’s conceptual framework, thus providing a more comprehensive understanding of its applications and implications in educational settings while establishing a robust foundation for future theoretical and empirical explorations of EL. Our review covers the origins and conceptual definitions of EL, operational constructs, and conditions necessary for practicing EL. We analyzed the following article types: quantitative (n=29), qualitative (n=43), commentary (n=13), literature review (n=3) and mixed-method (n=3) published between 1996 and Oct 2025 using an integrative approach while appraising their quality. The results revealed: (a) schools are increasingly adopting EL as a dynamic and innovative response to the stringent demands of neoliberal educational reforms and market-driven policies; (b) four common approaches were used to conceptually define EL in schools; (c) there were seven operational EL constructs; and (d) dynamic conditions influenced the use of EL for promoting school improvement and facilitating transformative change. The review highlights the conceptual ambiguities and empirical overlaps between EL and other leadership theories underscoring the need for clearer distinctions and more rigorous empirical support. It also highlights the need to refine EL’s theoretical framework and assess its distinct impact to fill an important niche in educational leadership studies. • Entrepreneurial leadership evolves with societal changes, boosting educational adaptability and outcomes. • The variability in defining entrepreneurial leadership requires a unified framework to enhance clarity and comparability. • Broader frameworks are needed for notable discrepancies between entrepreneurial leadership's conceptual and operational definitions. • The literature conflates entrepreneurial and transformational leadership, indicating the need for distinction. • More research is required on how leaders respond to economic and policy changes.