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Abstract
Islamic boarding schools (pondok pesantren) are the oldest Islamic educational institutions in Indonesia, playing a significant role in shaping the moral, spiritual, and intellectual character of society. Alongside the growing integration of formal education, pesantren are required to develop more modern and adaptive leadership models without abandoning their traditional values. This study aims to design a pesantren leadership structure that integrates transformational, distributive, and instructional leadership principles rooted in local culture. The analysis conducted at Pondok Pesantren Al-Mukhlisin in Deli Serdang Regency indicates that leadership patterns remain centered on the kiai figure, resulting in suboptimal coordination and delegation of authority. Transformational leadership is needed to foster inspiration and motivation; distributive leadership to strengthen collaboration and participation; and instructional leadership to ensure instructional quality and teachersโ professional development. The integration of these three leadership models is believed to create a pesantren leadership system that is visionary, participatory, and quality-oriented, while remaining aligned with local cultural values such as gotong royong, musyawarah, and familial solidarity. Thus, pesantren can evolve into innovative, adaptive, and sustainable Islamic educational institutions in the modern era.