THE INFLUENCE OF LEADERSHIP ON EDUCATIONAL PERSONNEL PERFORMANCE: THE MEDIATING EFFECT OF SPIRITUAL WELL-BEING

ABSTRACT
In Islamic higher education, spiritual well-being is crucial for enhancing educational staff performance, yet research on the relationship between leadership, spiritual well-being, and performance remains limited, particularly in Islamic boarding school-based institutions. This study aims to examine the influence of leadership on spiritual well-being and the performance of educational personnel, as well as to assess the mediating effect of spiritual well-being in this relationship. The study uses a quantitative correlational design, with primary data from 109 educational staff selected through stratified random sampling and analyzed using SEM-PLS with SmartPLS 4.0. The findings indicate that leadership has a significant positive effect on both spiritual well-being and performance. Moreover, spiritual well-being was found to have a positive effect on the performance of educational staff. Another key finding is that spiritual well-being mediates the relationship between leadership and performance, both directly and indirectly. It implies that effective leadership not only enhances work performance but also strengthens the spiritual meaning and values of educational personnel. In conclusion, this study provides theoretical contributions to the development of spirituality-based leadership concepts and offers practical implications for human resource management in Islamic higher education institutions.

Keywords: Islamic Higher Education, Leadership, Performance, Spiritual Well-Being.