Effective Leadership Strategy in
Islamic Organizations
Organised By:
Independent Muslim United Of Nigeria- IMUN
Presented by:
Abdulwahab Sikirullah
Preamble
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Planning without implementation is useless. In some
Islamic organisations, there is no defined concept of
long-term planning.
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Only few Islamic organisations are implementing their
strategy effectively. In this presentation, we highlight the
generally accepted principles that are necessary for
effective leadership strategy implementation in the
context of Islamic organisations
What is Leadership
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Leadership is "organizing a group of people to achieve a common
goal". The leader may or may not have any formal authority.
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Leadership can be defined as “a dynamic relationship based on
mutual influence and common purpose between leaders and
collaborators in which both are moved to higher levels of
motivation and moral development as they affect real, intended
change.” (Rost, 1991).
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Burns [1978] defines leadership as “leaders inducing followers to
act for certain goals that represent the values and the motivations
— the wants and needs, the aspirations and expectations — of
both leaders and followers.”
A great leader inspires people to go places, doing things they would
have thought of on their own. A leader brings out the best in his
followers which normally result to a major growth and success.
Note:- A leader is not great because of his/her power, but because
he/she is able to empower others and “success without a successor
is failure.
Power is given to the leader to evaluate, correct, and train
subordinates when productivity is not up to the desired level, and
reward effectiveness when expected outcome is reached.
The 2 dimension of Leadership
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Transactional leaders approach followers with an eye to
exchanging one thing for another (e.g., jobs for votes, board
positions for donations)
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The transformational dimension of leadership - the
leader, and followers enrich each other.
◦ transformational leaders recognize the needs of potential
followers and seek to fulfil their higher-order needs.
◦ They strive to engage the follower’s full person in order to
engender mutual inspiration and elevation.
The transformational dimension is very much a part of the Islamic
paradigm of leadership, which stresses the reciprocal enrichment of the
leaders and the followers. In fact, Islam demands that you, as a leader, pay
attention to your followers’ needs. In a hadith (no. 2942) reported in Sunan
Abu Dawud by Abu Maryam al-Azdi, the Prophet (s) said:
If Allah puts anyone in the position of authority over the Muslims’ affairs and he secludes
himself (from them), not fulfilling their needs, wants, and poverty, Allah will keep Himself
away from him, not fulfilling his need, want, and poverty.
In fact, your followers are responsible for following your directives as long
as you behave Islamically, and for disobeying you when you do not.
The Prophet (s) said: “Obedience (to somebody) is required when he enjoins what is good.”
Narrated by Ali (r).
Level 5 Leaders
Collins (2003)
Level 5 leaders are a paradoxical blend of personal humility and
professional will (e.g., Umar (r) and the personal humility he displayed
while travelling to Jerusalem to receive its keys).
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One of the best integrative models of effective leadership is inextricably
connected with transformational leadership, level 5 leadership, and
innovation.
Four Factors of leadership
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Leader
You must have an honest understanding of who you are, what you know, and what you can do. Also,
note that it is the followers, not the leader or someone else who determines if the leader is
successful. If they do not trust or lack confidence in their leader, then they will be uninspired.To be
successful you have to convince your followers, not yourself or your superiors, that you are worthy
of being followed.
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Followers
Different people require different styles of leadership. For example, a new hire requires more
supervision than an experienced employee. A person who lacks motivation requires a different
approach than one with a high degree of motivation.You must know your people! The fundamental
starting point is having a good understanding of human nature, such as needs, emotions, and
motivation.You must come to know your employees' be, know, and do attributes.
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Communication
You lead through two-way communication. Much of it is nonverbal. For instance, when you “set the
example,” that communicates to your people that you would not ask them to perform anything that
you would not be willing to do. What and how you communicate either builds or harms the
relationship between you and your employees.
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Situation
All situations are different. What you do in one situation will not always work in another.You must
use your judgment to decide the best course of action and the leadership style needed for each
situation. For example, you may need to confront an employee for inappropriate behavior, but if the
confrontation is too late or too early, too harsh or too weak, then the results may prove ineffective.
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PRE- RE QUISITES FOR BECOMING A LEADER
Self – Confidence
 Attitude
 Initiatives
 Responsibility
 Energy & Industrious
 Fearlessness & Boldness
 Perseverance
 Decisiveness
 Feed back Systed
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Leadership strategy Implementation
Islamic Approach
Challenging the Process:
Successful Muslim leaders seek Allah’s help
and challenge the status quo, while
ineffectual leaders sit around and react to
events.
 In challenging the process, you have to be
innovative & dynamic.
 While challenging the status quo, you, as a
leader will often encounter many challenges.
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He who mixes with people and endures the harm they do is better than he who
does not mix with them or endure the harm they do. Al-Tirmidhi (hadith no.
5087) and lbn Majah) narrated by Abdullah ibn Umar
Inspiring a Shared Vision
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This vision is the source of your organisation’s mission
statement and long-term strategy.
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Involve followers and increase their commitment to the
vision.
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Engaging in shura
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You can also pray salat al-istikhara to ask Allah to
validate the content and direction of the orgahisation’s
future direction.
Delegate:
Enabling Others To Act
Followers do not succeed (or fail) by themselves.
They need servant-leaders, -leaders who are not
so preoccupied with their self-serving ambitions
that they cannot place other people’s interests
above their own.
 If a person is using an Islamic organisation for
self-promotion rather than to enable others to
lead, he/she can cause serious damage.
 Prophet Muhammad (s) said: “Two hungry wolves
let loose among sheep are not more destructive
to them than a man’s greed for property and selfaggrandizement are to his faith.” reported in AlTirmidhi (hadith no. 1345)
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Critical Point: ********
As a Muslim leader, you need to have the right intention
(niyyah). Are you truly leading this organization, or just
holding on desperately to a leadership position because you
are the founder? If you are the former, focus on helping those
around you succeed without being concerned about your
own personal gain or prestige. If you are the latter, step
down; there are so many other opportunities to do good
work for the cause of Allah. You will learn how good your
followers are only when you give them the freedom to
succeed and become a servant-leader.
Modelling the Way
Your task is not done after developing a shared vision
and empowering others, for now you must lead by
modelling the way. First, be clear about your beliefs. By
practicing what you preach, clarify to your followers
what core values and behaviour should be emulated.
Allah describes our beloved Prophet as a timeless,
virtuous model for all:
And you stand an exalted standard of character.
(Qur’an, 68:4)
Encouraging the Heart
Succeeding in Allah’s Path is difficult, and Muslims will be
continuously tested. Sometimes, brothers and sisters may
become discouraged because a strategic plan may look too
hard or is taking too long to implement.
The following admonition from Prophet Ya’qub (a) illustrates
this aspect of Islamic leadership:
O my sons! Go and inquire about Joseph and his brother, and
never give up hope of Allah’s Soothing Mercy. Truly, no one
despairs of Allah’s Soothing Mercy except those who have no faith.
[Qur’an, 12:87]
So lose not heart or fall into despair, for you must gain mastery if
you are true in faith. [Qur’an, 3:139]
In the “law of effect”: Behaviour that is rewarded will be
repeated; behaviour that is not rewarded will not be.
Leadership Lessons From The Qur’an:
The Story of Dhul-Qarnayn
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The Prophet says: “Kullu kum ra’in was kullu ra’in mas’ool an rai’yatayhi…” meaning that “Everyone of you is a caretaker, and every caretaker
is responsible for what he is caretaker of.”
Leadership is about delegating authority, and a central principle of
delegation is that authority must be delegated with appropriate
resources, i.e. the means to accomplish the task one has been
delegated with.
◦ In Surah al Baqarah: “Laa yo kallifall-lahu nafsan illa wus-aa-ha
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Leadership is constantly tested
Leadership is not exploitative
Leadership is about teamwork
Effective leaders are servant-leaders
Good leaders are humble and realize that success only comes from
Allah.
The Leadership Process of Prophet
Muhammad (s)
General Leadership Principle:Do not be in a leaderless group; appoint a leader!
When three men travel together, they should make
one of them their leader. -Abu Dawud, on the
Authority of Abu Sa’id ‘Al-Khudri

Develop competency in the area in which
you are leading others. (Whoever delegates a position to
someone whereas he sees someone else as more competent (for the position), verily he has
cheated Allah and His Apostle and all the Muslims.- Ibn Taymiyya)
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Stress virtue and behave with integrity.
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(Virtue is noble behaviour, and sin is that which creates doubt and you do not like people to
know about it.- Sahih Muslim)
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Greed and faith can never co-exist in the human heart. (An-Nasa’i, on the Authority of Abu
Hurayrah)
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Maintain balance and self-control.
(Three things are part of the good morals of a believer. When he is overcome by anger, his anger
should not drive him to falsehood.When he is happy, his happiness should not take him beyond
the bounds of what is right. When he has power, he should not stake a claim to something which
is not his.Tirmidhi, on the Authority of Anas Ibn Malik)

Be proactive and action-oriented
especially when confronting evil.

(Whosoever of you sees an evil action, let him change it with his hand; and if he is not able to do
so, then with his tongue; and if he is not able to do so, then with his heart, for that is the
minimum that is desirable from a believer.

An-Nasa’i, on the Authority of Abu Sa’id Al-Khudri.)
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Be modest and self-effacing - (Level 5 Leadership)

Modesty is a part of Iman and Iman shall be rewarded with Paradise. Foul talk is a part of
neglect [towards God] and neglect [towards God] shall be rewarded with Hellfire.- Ibn Maajah,
no. 4174.

The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, “The dearest and nearest among you to me on the Day of
Resurrection will be one who is the best of you in manners; and the most abhorrent among you
to me and the farthest of you from me will be the pompous, the garrulous, and Al-Mutafaihiqun.”
The Companions asked him: “O Messenger of Allah! We know about the pompous and the
garrulous, but we do not know who Al-Mutafaihiqun are.” He replied: “The arrogant people.”
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Keep your word.
Three are the signs of a hypocrite:
When he speaks, he lies; when he
makes a promise, he breaks it; and
when he is trusted, he betrays his
trust.- Abu Hurairah, in Bukhari and
Muslim.
Maintain a positive
and cheerful attitude.
Do not belittle any good deed, even
meeting your brother (Muslim) with a
cheerful face.- Abu Dhar in Sahih
Muslim.
Do not meddle in
what does not
concern you.
Part of the excellence of one’s Islam is
his giving up of that which does not
concern him.- Abu Hurayra, AtTirmidhi.
Leader-follower interaction
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Take responsibility for your followers:
Each one of your is shepherd. And each one of you will be asked about y
our flock......... (Bukhari and Muslim, on the Authority of ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar)

Do not NOT betray the trust of your followers.
(When a man tells you something in confidence, you must not betray his trust.: Abu Dawud, on
the Authority of Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah.)
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Do not abuse or hurt other Muslims.
(Abusing a Muslim is Fusuq (an evil doing) and killing him is Kufr (disbelief).- Bukhari)
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Do not harbor suspicion towards others.
(Beware of suspicion, for it is the worst of false tales and don’t look for the other’s faults and don’t spy
and don’t hate each other, and don’t desert (cut your relations with) one another. O Allah’s slaves, be
brothers! : Bukhari,Vol. 8: No. 717.
Follower – Leader interaction:

A follower does not support a tyrannical
leader (One who walks with a tyrant, in the full knowledge that he is a tyrant, in order to
strengthen him, is such as has already left the fold of Islam.- Al-Bayhaqi, on the Authority of Aus Bin
Shurahabil)
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Do not condone or engage in bigotry.

He who preaches bigotry is not one of us. And not being one of us, he may go ahead and fight in the
cause of bigotry. He who dies for such a cause is not one of us either.
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Source: Abu Dawud, on the Authority of Jubayr Ibn Mut’im
Note: Miserliness, cowardice and greed deprive man of his trust in
God. The worst of counselors is he who has served as a counsellor
to unjust rulers and shared their crimes.
Team Work
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There must be an awareness of unity on the
part of all its members.

There must be interpersonal relationship.
Members must have a chance to contribute, and
learn from and work with others.

The members must have the ability to act
together toward a common goal.
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Traits of well-functioning teams
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Purpose: Members proudly share a sense of why the team exists and are invested in
accomplishing its mission and goals.
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Priorities: Members know what needs to be done next, by whom, and by when to
achieve team goals.

Roles: Members know their roles in getting tasks done and when to allow a more
skillful member to do a certain task.

Decisions: Authority and decision-making lines are clearly understood.
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Conflict: Conflict is dealt with openly and is considered important to decisionmaking and personal growth.
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Personal traits: members feel their unique personalities are appreciated and well
utilized.
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Norms: Group norms for working together are set and seen as standards for every
one in the groups.
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Effectiveness: Members find team meetings efficient and productive and look
forward to this time together.

Success: Members know clearly when the team has met with success and share in
this equally and proudly.

Training: Opportunities for feedback and updating skills are provided and taken
advantage of by team members.
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Who is the leader? & Who is the follower?
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Who is the leader? & Who is the follower?
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Inspirational words
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The biggest mistake of all is to avoid situations in which you might make
a mistake.
The different between a successful person & others is not a lack of
knowledge…..but rather lack of will.
The man with confidence in himself gains the confidence of others.
Attitude, not aptitude determine your altitude.
Great minds have purpose…..others have wishes.
Those who succeed are those who think they can.“Yes we can!”
The positive thinkers sees the invisible, feels the intangible & achieve the
impossible.
Lesson of a crawl & Small rabbit (to be sitting & doing nothing…..u must
be sitting very, very, high up)
No man fails…….if he does is best.
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