Entrepreneurial Muslim leadership in Islamic cooperative business unit

Purpose - The purpose of this study is to find what kind of leadership is suitable for developing a business in an Islamic boarding school. Design/methodology/approach - This study used a qualitative research method by conducting in-depth interviews with 16 informants. Findings - This study resulted in three critical factors leadership qualities, entrepreneurial qualities and Muslim qualities. The unique combination of these essential elements must be in the soul of a business leader in a boarding school in carrying out its business activities to meet school operational costs while developing it into a sustainable business. Research limitations/implications - This research is limited to being conducted in Indonesia’s most densely populated areas, namely, West Java Province, which also has the highest number of Islamic boarding schools. Not all Islamic boarding schools have business units because their operational needs have been met either by tuition fees or outside assistance. Practical implications - These findings are expected to be a guideline for other Islamic boarding schools to find out how business leadership in Islamic boarding schools should be in carrying out their activities so that their business not only survives but also develops and competes with other companies. Originality/value - This study presents a combination of theories of entrepreneurship, leadership and Muslim qualities obtained from the literature review and empirical data from the results of in-depth interviews.