Beyond the charisma of Islamic boarding school leaders : countering potential abuse through enhancing critical thinking and critical dialogical abilities of the 'led'

Abstract

In response to the pressing call for enhancing the critical thinking and critical dialogical abilities of the students at pesantren (Islamic boarding schools) in Indonesia, this study delves into the 'dark side' of charismatic leadership commonly adopted by these *indigenous Islamic educational institutions. The inquiries stem from rising reports of sexual abuse at pesantren institutions and scrutinize the romanticized axiom of charisma in leadership that is often overshadowed by extreme admiration, blind idolization, and unquestioning obedience, which leads to sparing limited or even no room for the followers to question and criticize, making them vulnerable to power abuse. Hence, this study draws upon the insights of 24 participants from two pesantren institutions in East Java, probing their perceptions, practices, and reflections on charisma and obedience, A multiple case study design is employed within a qualitative research framework, utilizing document analysis, focused group discussions, interviews, and observations for the data collection. Triangulation techniques in both data collection and data sources are used for validation to enhance the credibility and trustworthiness of the data, which is analyzed using software-based thematic analysis through Quirkos. This study also addresses ethical considerations and the researcher's positionality to maintain academic integrity and methodological rigor. The findings suggest that the student's critical thinking and dialogical capabilities are not a mere function of the leadership style in pesantren. Rather, these aspects span a broader spectrum, hinging on the Islamic educational models that they adopt, here contested by adab (moral disciplining) and tarbiyah (critical dialogue). Exclusive reliance on adab leads to unbalanced charismatic leadership, fostering a patriarchal culture conducive to power abuse, including sexual abuse. Conversely, combining both adab and tarbiyah promotes a balanced charismatic leadership where adab (moral) forms the basis while critical thinking and dialogue serve as control mechanisms. In practice, critical thinking acts as an alarm, enabling students to discern whether their leaders' commands align with Islamic principles, while critical dialogical abilities serve as a countermeasure, empowering students to assertively challenge potential misconduct. This research highlights the importance of the control element in charismatic leadership, complementing the three components suggested by previous studies: basis, emotional connection, and signaling communication. Consequently, these findings lay the groundwork for further research to delve deeper into the dark side of charismatic leadership in the Islamic school setting, given that charisma meets religiosity could yield benefits on one hand, but potentially negative consequences on the other.