Transformative Leadership and Institutional Ethics in Early Islamic Governance: A Study of Umar’s Caliphate

Transformative leadership refers to a leadership model that not only inspires

and motivates but also co-creates a world where every choice, action, and

discussion encourages a reflection of how we strive for the shared future to

achieve extraordinary outcomes. Likewise, institutional ethics refers to a set

of ethical principles and certain moral standards that can be applied at the

organizational level so that individuals can act with integrity, fairness, and

social responsibility to ensure the institution’s credibility in all its operations.

The applicability of these concepts are extensively in business, education,

and social and religious leadership models. To investigate the leadership

strategies in the early Islamic period, this study examined the Umar ibn al

Khaṭṭāb (RA) leadership strategies, who was the second caliph among the

four rightly guided caliphs and whose administrative, governance reforms

are studied across the world as leadership model. His tenure was marked by

his revolutionary reforms, strong administration, and other initiatives during

his caliphate, especially his people-centred approach to governance. Based

on Islamic principles and his utmost devotion to Allah, his leadership

combined transformative leadership and institutional ethics, in addition to

his strategic military expansion and personal piety. The Farooqian

Leadership Model (FLM) suggests an integrated framework of governance

that harmonizes aspects of mod