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ISRG PUBLISHERS
Abb e ia ed Key Ti le: ISRG J Humani Cul S ud
ISSN: 3048-5436 (Online)
Jou nal homepage: h ps://is gpublishe s.com/gjhcs/
Volume – II Issue- VI (No embe -Decembe ) 2025
F equency: Bimon hly
THE ART OF EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP: A SYNTHESIS OF THE PROPHET
MUHAMMAD’S MODEL, THE COMBAT MODEL, AND MANUNGGALING
KAWULA GUSTI
He y Agung Se yawan1*, Tu uk Ningsih2
1, 2 Pascasa jana UIN Saizu Pu woke o, Indonesia
| Recei ed: 09.11.2025 | Accep ed: 13.11.2025 | Published: 26.11.2025
*Co esponding au ho : He y Agung Se yawan
Pascasa jana UIN Saizu Pu woke o, Indonesia
Abs ac
Global challenges and he g owing complexi y o na ional educa ion issues demand leade s who a e no only manage ially
compe en bu also possess mo al in eg i y, s a egic esilience, and a humanis ic o ien a ion. This a icle seeks o p opose a
syn hesized model o educa ional leade ship ha in eg a es Islamic spi i ual alues, mode n s a egic app oaches, and Ja anese
local wisdom. This s udy employs a lib a y esea ch me hod wi h a quali a i e–desc ip i e app oach. The da a we e analyzed
using con en analysis and compa a i e echniques applied o p ima y and seconda y sou ces conce ning he Leade ship Model o
P ophe Muhammad SAW, Cohen’s Comba Model, and he Ja anese philosophy o Manunggaling Kawula Gus i. The s udy esul s
in a holis ic syn hesis o educa ional leade ship. The P ophe Muhammad SAW Model p o ides he ounda ion o cha ac e and
e hics. The Comba Model o e s a s a egic and ac ion-o ien ed amewo k, while he Manunggaling Kawula Gus i philosophy
se es as he spi i ual essence ha nu u es ha mony and collegiali y. Toge he , hese h ee models o m an ideal educa ional
leade —one who possesses he hea o he P ophe (noble in cha ac e ), he mind o Comba (s a egic and inno a i e), and he
soul o Manunggaling (humanis ic and ha monious).
The syn hesis o hese models o e s a esh and con ex ualized pe spec i e on educa ional leade ship de elopmen in Indonesia. I
is ecommended ha school p incipal aining p og ams inco po a e hese h ee dimensions in a balanced manne o cul i a e
leade s who a e no only ope a ionally e ec i e bu also ans o ma i e and g ounded in cha ac e .
Keywo ds: Educa ional Leade ship, P ophe Muhammad SAW, Comba Model, Manunggaling Kawula Gus i, Model Syn hesis,
School P incipals
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INTRODUCTION
The e a o globaliza ion and he apid ad ancemen o in o ma ion
echnology in he 21s cen u y ha e placed Indonesia’s educa ion
sys em in he mids o inc easingly complex and mul idimensional
challenges. On one hand, educa ion is equi ed o p oduce human
esou ces who a e excellen , e hical, and globally compe i i e (Law
No. 20 o 2003 on he Na ional Educa ion Sys em). On he o he
hand, undamen al p oblems—such as dispa i ies in quali y,
cu iculum ele ance, and subop imal go e nance— emain
p essing issues ha need o be add essed (Minis y o Educa ion,
Cul u e, Resea ch, and Technology, 2023).
Wi hin his con ex , educa ional leade ship—pa icula ly he ole
o he school p incipal as he o e on manage o educa ional
ins i u ions—becomes a decisi e ac o in esponding o hese
challenges (Lei hwood e al., 2020). A p incipal oday is no longe
me ely an adminis a o o manage , bu an ins uc ional leade
capable o mobilizing all school esou ces o c ea e a conduci e
and inno a i e academic en i onmen (Fullan, 2014). The
signi ican in luence o school leade ship on eache pe o mance
and s uden achie emen has been well-documen ed (e.g.,
Hallinge & Heck, 2011). Howe e , in p ac ice, leade ship
de elopmen o school p incipals o en emains ocused on
echnical manage ial aspec s, while he ―a ‖ o philosophical
dimension o leade ship—one ha is ans o ma i e, e hical, and
con ex ually g ounded— ecei es less a en ion.
Add essing his gap, his a icle a gues ha e ec i e educa ional
leade ship equi es a holis ic and in eg a i e app oach ha
combines mode n leade ship heo ies wi h spi i ual alues and
local wisdom embedded in socie y. P e ious s udies ha e explo ed
he leade ship model o P ophe Muhammad SAW (Alamsyah,
2017; Thaib, 2019), s a egic leade ship amewo ks such as
Cohen’s Comba Model (Cohen, 1990), and Ja anese leade ship
philosophy (Hidaya e al., 2023), ye mos ly in isola ion. Few
s udies ha e a emp ed o syn hesize hese h ee pa adigma ically
dis inc amewo ks—Islamic spi i uali y, mode n s a egy, and
local philosophy—in o a cohe en model o educa ional leade ship.
The e o e, his a icle seeks o ill ha academic gap by p oposing
a syn hesized pe spec i e i led ―The A o Educa ional
Leade ship: A Syn hesis o he P ophe Muhammad’s Model, he
Comba Model, and Manunggaling Kawula Gus i.‖ Speci ically,
his s udy aims o:
1. Analyze he main cha ac e is ics and co e p inciples o
he P ophe Muhammad SAW Model, he Comba
Model, and he Manunggaling Kawula Gus i philosophy.
2. Iden i y poin s o con e gence and complemen a y
elemen s among he h ee models wi hin he con ex o
educa ional leade ship.
3. Fo mula e p ac ical implica ions o his syn hesis o he
p o essional de elopmen o school p incipals in
Indonesia.
I is expec ed ha his syn hesis will con ibu e an
al e na i e pe spec i e ha en iches he heo e ical landscape o
educa ional leade ship and o e s a mo e con ex ual and applicable
amewo k o educa ional leade s in Indonesia.
RESEARCH METHODS
This a icle employs a lib a y esea ch me hod wi h a quali a i e–
desc ip i e app oach. The lib a y s udy was conduc ed by
collec ing, analyzing, and syn hesizing da a om a ious w i en
sou ces o cons uc a new concep ual amewo k o model (Zed,
2008). The da a and analy ical ma e ials we e d awn om h ee
ypes o sou ces: (1) P ima y sou ces, which con ain he co e
eachings, alues, and p inciples o he h ee leade ship models
unde s udy, including he Qu ’an and Hadi h o P ophe
Muhammad SAW (e.g., Sahih Bukha i) as he ounda ion o he
P ophe Muhammad’s Leade ship Model, Ja anese philosophical
ex s discussing he concep o Manunggaling Kawula Gus i as he
basis o he Ja anese philosophical model, and William A.
Cohen’s The A o he Leade (1990) as he main e e ence o he
Comba Model; (2) Seconda y sou ces, consis ing o suppo ing
ma e ials such as books, schola ly jou nals, academic a icles, and
heses ha discuss he h ee leade ship models, educa ional
leade ship, si ah nabawiyah, and Ja anese mys icism; and (3)
Te ia y sou ces, such as dic iona ies (e.g., KBBI) and
encyclopedias used o cla i y key e ms like ―a ‖ and ―leade ship.‖
Da a we e collec ed h ough documen a ion echniques, in ol ing
ca e ul no e- aking and ci a ion o ele an in o ma ion om all
iden i ied sou ces. The collec ed da a we e hen analyzed c i ically
using con en analysis and compa a i e analysis echniques
h ough se e al s ages: da a educ ion ( ocusing on in o ma ion
ele an o leade ship p inciples wi hin each model), da a display
(sys ema ic p esen a ion o each model’s cha ac e is ics), analysis
and syn hesis (iden i ying poin s o con e gence, di e gence, and
complemen a i y among he h ee models o o mula e an
in eg a i e educa ional leade ship amewo k), and e i ica ion
(c oss-checking in e p e a ions wi h he o iginal sou ces o ensu e
accu acy and alidi y). Th ough his me hodological amewo k,
he s udy aims o p oduce a comp ehensi e, in-dep h, and
con ex ually g ounded syn hesis model o educa ional leade ship
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
1. The P ophe ic Leade ship Model: Mo al and
T ans o ma ional Founda ions
The leade ship model o P ophe Muhammad SAW o e s a
comp ehensi e and uni e sal pa adigm o leade ship g ounded in
bo h mo al and p ac ical dimensions. Based on s udies o si ah
nabawiyah, his leade ship s ands on wo in e ela ed ounda ions:
pe sonal ai s (sel -leade ship) and public ai s (social leade ship).
On he pe sonal le el, he P ophe demons a ed siddiq
( u h ulness), whe e hones y se ed as he ounda ion o us — he
essen ial social capi al in educa ional leade ship. Amanah
( us wo hiness) and abligh ( esponsibili y and anspa ency)
ep esen he leade ’s du y o ul ill ins i u ional manda es and
communica e he school’s ision and mission clea ly o all
s akeholde s. Fa honah (wisdom and in elligence) e lec s he
in ellec ual, emo ional, and spi i ual capaci y equi ed o analyze
p oblems, design s a egies, and guide eache s and s uden s.
His cha isma, de i ed no om inna e magne ism bu om
in eg i y, mo al consis ency, and a clea ision, shows ha
au hen ic in luence eme ges om exempla y cha ac e a he han
posi ional au ho i y.
2. The Social Dimension o P ophe ic Leade ship:
Pa icipa o y and Humanis ic P ac ice
In he public dimension, he P ophe ’s leade ship was pa icipa o y
and human-cen e ed. The p inciple o Ibdā' bi al-Na sik (―begin
wi h onesel ‖) aligns wi h he mode n no ion o ―walking he alk,‖
emphasizing exempla y beha io be o e expec ing o he s o ac .
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His communica ion was clea , di ec , and emo ionally esonan —
skills essen ial o school p incipals in building sha ed
unde s anding and commi men . The P ophe ’s closeness o his
ollowe s modeled pa icipa o y engagemen , which in educa ional
con ex s ansla es o managemen by walking a ound, whe e he
leade emains p esen and in ol ed.
The p ac ice o shu a (consul a ion) unde sco es he impo ance o
collabo a i e decision-making, while his mas e y in p o iding
ecogni ion and mo i a ion highligh s he humanis ic a o
upli ing mo ale. Abo e all, his leade ship was guided by akhlāq
al-ka īmah (noble e hics), a i ming ha success in leade ship is
measu ed no me ely by ou comes bu by e hical and humane
p ocesses.
3. Cohen’s Comba Leade ship Model: S a egy,
Adap abili y, and Decisi e Ac ion
Cohen’s (1990) Comba Leade ship Model p esen s a dynamic,
ac ion-o ien ed amewo k sui able o na iga ing he ola ile,
unce ain, and complex landscape o mode n educa ion. This
model ope a es h ough wo majo dimensions: he p e-comba
mindse and he in-comba s a egy.
The p e-comba mindse in ol es cul i a ing e lec ion on pas
successes and ailu es, nu u ing an a i ude o se ice and
empa hy, aking ini ia i e wi hou wai ing o o mal designa ion,
and de eloping si ua ional awa eness in apidly changing
en i onmen s. I emphasizes mo i a ion, esilience, and he belie
ha leade s a e ―made‖ h ough expe ience a he han bo n wi h
ixed ai s.
The in-comba s a egy ocuses on conc e e ac ion: aking
calcula ed isks, os e ing inno a ion, main aining high
expec a ions, demons a ing op imism unde ad e si y, and leading
om he on . These p inciples empowe school leade s o ac
decisi ely, inspi e con idence, and sus ain o ganiza ional
momen um in imes o unce ain y.
4. The Manunggaling Kawula Gus i Model: Spi i ual and
Cul u al Uni y in Leade ship
The Manunggaling Kawula Gus i model, oo ed in Ja anese
philosophy, ep esen s he uni y be ween he leade (Gus i) and he
ollowe s (Kawula). This concep anscends i s heocen ic
dimension— he uni y be ween human and God— o include a
p o ound an h opocen ic meaning: he ha monious in eg a ion o
leade and communi y.
Ve ically, leade ship is pe cei ed as an ac o wo ship (ibadah), in
which he leade assumes he di ine manda e o khalī ah
(s ewa dship). This awa eness os e s humili y ( awadhu’),
de achmen om ma e ial ambi ion (zuhud), and a deep sense o
accoun abili y o God.
Ho izon ally, i mani es s h ough ha mony (hamemayu hayuning
bawana), whe e educa ional leade s cul i a e balanced
ela ionships among all membe s o he school ecosys em—
eache s, s uden s, s a , and pa en s. I also embodies se an
leade ship, whe e he leade se es he needs and g ow h o o he s.
This uni y un olds ac oss h ee le els o leade ship
ene gy:
a. Weak ene gy, whe e ac ions a e me ely ansac ional and
compliance-based.
b. S ong bu igid ene gy, cha ac e ized by discipline
wi hou empa hy, p oducing good bu uninspi ed esul s.
c. P o ound ene gy, d i en by lo e, since i y, and sha ed
pu pose, c ea ing collegiali y, c ea i i y, and collec i e
low— he ul ima e exp ession o kemanunggalan
(oneness in ac ion).
5. Compa a i e Analysis: Syn hesizing Th ee Leade ship
Models
Th ough compa a i e analysis, his s udy syn hesizes he h ee
leade ship models in o a holis ic amewo k o educa ional
leade ship. These models a e no con adic o y bu complemen a y,
o ming an in eg a ed a chi ec u e o leade ship.
a. The P ophe Muhammad SAW Model se es as he
e hical ounda ion—ancho ing leade ship in mo al
in eg i y, since i y, and wisdom.
b. The Comba Leade ship Model unc ions as he s a egic
amewo k— ansla ing mo al p inciples in o decisi e
and adap i e ac ion.
c. The Manunggaling Kawula Gus i Model p o ides he
spi i ual and cul u al soul—ensu ing leade ship emains
humane, ela ional, and ha monious.
Wi hou he p ophe ic mo al ounda ion, leade ship isks
manipula ion; wi hou comba s a egy, i lacks dynamism; wi hou
Manunggaling ha mony, i loses humani y. The e o e, ue
leade ship mus in eg a e all h ee: e hical g ounding, s a egic
capabili y, and spi i ual ha mony.
6. Towa d a Holis ic Pa adigm o Educa ional Leade ship
The syn hesis o hese h ee pe spec i es e eals a
mul idimensional pa adigm: e ec i e educa ional leade ship
ha monizes he hea (spi i ual and mo al alues), he mind
(s a egic hinking and inno a ion), and he soul (human
ela ionships and collec i e ha mony).
The ideal school leade is one who embodies he p ophe ic
cha ac e o in eg i y and humili y, he s a egic igo o Comba
leade ship, and he uni ying spi i o Manunggaling Kawula Gus i.
Such in eg a ion os e s schools ha a e no only academically
excellen bu also e hically g ounded and socially cohesi e—
spaces whe e leade ship becomes bo h an ac o ans o ma ion and
a mani es a ion o spi i ual a is y
CONCLUSION
Based on he analysis conduc ed, i can be concluded ha he a o
educa ional leade ship equi es an in eg a i e and
mul idimensional app oach. The h ee leade ship models—P ophe
Muhammad SAW, Comba , and Manunggaling Kawula Gus i—a e
no sepa a e en i ies bu can be syn hesized in o a comp ehensi e
and holis ic amewo k. The P ophe Muhammad’s Leade ship
Model p o ides a s ong e hical and mo al ounda ion,
emphasizing exempla y conduc , hones y (siddiq), us wo hiness
(amanah), and humanis ic communica ion. The Comba
Leade ship Model se es as a dynamic and s a egic amewo k
ha equips leade s wi h p agma ic ools o ace challenges wi h
cou age, inno a ion, and esul -o ien ed hinking. Meanwhile, he
Manunggaling Kawula Gus i Leade ship Model embodies he
spi i ual and cul u al essence o leade ship ha humanizes
ela ionships, p omo es ha mony, uni y, and se an leade ship,
ans o ming hie a chical ela ions in o collegial pa ne ships. The
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syn hesis o hese h ee models c ea es he ideal p o ile o an
educa ional leade —one who possesses he hea o a P ophe
(noble cha ac e ), he mind o a Comba leade (s a egic and
esilien ), and he soul o Manunggaling Kawula Gus i (humanis ic
and ha monious). This in eg a i e amewo k o e s a con ex ual
solu ion o add essing he complex challenges o educa ional
leade ship in Indonesia. Theo e ically, his s udy con ibu es o he
body o knowledge in educa ional leade ship by in oducing a
syn he ic model ha in eg a es spi i ual alues, mode n s a egies,
and local wisdom, o e ing a new heo e ical ounda ion o mo e
con ex ual leade ship esea ch. P ac ically, i sugges s ha (1)
educa ional ins i u ions such as he Minis y o Educa ion and local
go e nmen s should design leade ship aining p og ams ha
in eg a e mo al o ma ion, s a egic simula ion, and local cul u al
wisdom o build a posi i e school clima e; (2) p ospec i e and
cu en educa ional leade s, including p incipals and eache s,
should ac i ely cul i a e no only manage ial skills bu also
spi i ual in eg i y, s a egic esilience, and humanis ic ela ionships
wi hin he school communi y; and (3) u u e esea che s a e
encou aged o empi ically es his syn hesized model using
quan i a i e o quali a i e me hods o e alua e i s impac on school
clima e, eache pe o mance, and s uden achie emen . By
adop ing his in eg a i e amewo k, i is hoped ha Indonesia will
nu u e educa ional leade s who no only achie e academic
excellence bu also embody noble cha ac e and os e a humane
and ans o ma i e educa ional ci iliza ion
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