<![CDATA[This study examines strategic leadership in curriculum differentiation and its contribution to competitive advantage at Pesantren At-Tarbiyah Nagrak Sukabumi, applying the Resource-Based View (RBV) and Dynamic Capabilities as complementary interpretive lenses, an approach rarely applied jointly to newly established pesantren. This qualitative single-case study gathered data through in-depth interviews with four internal informants (institution head, curriculum deputy, two instructors), participatory observation, and document analysis, triangulated with five external informants to reduce self-representation bias. Analysis followed Braun and Clarke's thematic procedure, strengthened by pattern-matching against RBV and Dynamic Capabilities. The kyai's strategic leadership is associated with curriculum differentiation through fusing classical and modern instructional methods, using Arabic as the primary medium of communication, and positioning tahfizh al-Quran as the core curriculum. Competitive advantage is further associated with adaptive young faculty, a disciplined boarding system, and administrative digitalization, though these remain interpretive rather than statistically validated. The single case design constrains generalizability, and the predominance of internal informants leaves a residual risk of self-representation; claims about public trust should be read as indicative rather than conclusive. The study offers practical implications for newly established pesantren seeking sustainable competitive positioning. The originality lies not in new theoretical constructs but in contextually interpreting strategic-management concepts within a pesantren setting. The model combines RBV, Porter's differentiation strategy, and Dynamic Capabilities with empirically grounded mechanisms from Pesantren At-Tarbiyah Nagrak, offering practical guidance for newly established, adaptive pesantren navigating educational disruption.]]>
