This article aims to explain the principles of the leadership styles of madrasah heads in enhancing the quality of Islamic education in Lhokseumawe City. It turns out that the leadership of madrasah heads has a significant impact on the functioning of the madrasah leadership. The madrasah head plays a direct role in developing Islamic educational institutions through leadership characteristics, leader types, leader functions, and leader activities during their tenure as madrasah heads. A quantitative research method with a phenomenological approach is considered capable of addressing various issues in the research problem formulation. It simultaneously analyzes data obtained from observations, interviews, and in-depth documentation to find answers to the research problem. The research findings reveal that the leadership styles of madrasah heads can be divided into two categories: democratic leadership style and autocratic leadership style. The first principle of leadership style involves giving responsibilities and authority to all parties, encouraging active involvement in the organization. Members are given opportunities to provide suggestions, recommendations, and criticisms for the progress of the organization. The second principle, the autocratic leadership style, positions a leader as the source of policies.

This paper explores diverse conceptualizations of leadership, emphasizing its profound impact on individuals and organizations. Leadership’s influence on followers’ daily lives, necessitating adaptation to modern complexities. Various theories offer distinct perspectives: distributed leadership emphasizes shared expertise. While charismatic leadership focuses on vision alignment. Authentic leadership promotes ethical climates, while Emotional Intelligence theory emphasizes emotional competencies. Ethical leadership underscores moral conduct. Five Domains Leadership highlights talent management and strategy execution, while Leadership Transition Theory discusses dynamic changes. Other theories include direct/indirect leadership, entrepreneurial leadership, and leader-member exchange. Participative leadership explores decision-making styles, and situational leadership aligns styles with follower maturity. Trait and behavioral theories focus on inherent traits and learned behaviours. This review underscores leadership’s complexity, offering insights into its diverse conceptualizations and practical implications across contexts.