Authors : Agus F. Abdillah; Sarach Diba Hidayat; Doni Sugianto Sihotang

Volume/Issue : Volume 11 - 2026, Issue 8 - August

Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/yc2avhy4

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DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/26aug618

Note : A published paper may take 4-5 working days from the publication date to appear in PlumX Metrics, Semantic Scholar, and ResearchGate.

Abstract : This study extends servant leadership theory by introducing faith-driven governance as its epistemic foundation, explaining how ethics and empathy are constructed and enacted in community-centered contexts. While servant leadership research emphasizes moral and relational dimensions, it provides limited insight into how these values emerge and operate beyond formal organizational settings. Drawing on qualitative analysis of public leadership narratives in Indonesia, this study develops a conceptual framework linking faith (tauhid), embodied experience, and informal welfare institutions. The findings show that faith functions as a moral compass and decision-making logic, shaping leadership orientation. This foundation is reinforced through lived experiences of hardship, generating embodied empathy that informs servant leadership practices oriented toward service and social justice. These practices are operationalized through hybrid welfare governance, particularly via pesantren, which provide social protection and community support. The interaction of these elements contributes to community well-being, reflected in dignity restoration, trust, and social inclusion, while also enhancing governance performance, particularly in terms of responsiveness and legitimacy. This study contributes to servant leadership literature by (1) positioning faith as a foundational moral-cognitive structure, (2) identifying embodied leadership as a mechanism linking experience and empathy, and (3) extending servant leadership into informal and community-based governance contexts.

Keywords : Servant Leadership; Ethical Leadership; Governance Performance; Community Well-Being.

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