Integrating Inner Development Goals into Islamic Educational Management: A Conceptual Framework for Transformative and Sustainable Leadership

Abstract

This study examines the integration of the Inner Development Goals (IDGs) framework into Islamic Educational Management as a foundation for transformative and sustainable leadership. Current leadership development in Islamic educational institutions predominantly emphasizes managerial and administrative competencies while giving limited attention to leaders’ internal capacities, such as self-awareness, empathy, and reflective thinking. Despite growing scholarly interest in leadership development and sustainability, few studies have conceptually integrated IDGs with Islamic Educational Management within a unified theoretical framework. Employing a qualitative conceptual design with a library research approach, this study analyzes literature on leadership development, IDGs, sustainable leadership, and Islamic educational management. The findings reveal that the five IDG dimensions Being, Thinking, Relating, Collaborating, and Acting are conceptually aligned with core Islamic values, including muhasabah, hikmah, rahmah, shura, amanah, and khilafah. Based on this alignment, the study proposes an integrative conceptual framework positioning inner development as the foundation of transformative and sustainable leadership in Islamic educational institutions. The framework contributes to leadership theory by linking individual inner transformation, Islamic educational values, and sustainable educational leadership. Overall, integrating IDGs with Islamic educational values offers a holistic approach that balances managerial competence with ethical, spiritual, and personal development.