<![CDATA[Main Objectives: Spiritual leadership (SL) has emerged as a values-based leadership paradigm that promotes ethical behavior, employee well-being, and sustainable organizational performance. However, existing evidence remains fragmented across organizational contexts. This study develops a context-contingent theoretical synthesis of spiritual leadership. Background Problems: Previous studies primarily examine the direct effects of SL while providing limited explanation of the mechanisms and contextual conditions through which its outcomes emerge. This study asks: How does spiritual leadership operate across organizational contexts, through which mechanisms does it influence organizational outcomes, and under what contextual conditions are these mechanisms strengthened or constrained? Novelty: This study proposes a context-contingent theoretical synthesis that integrates fragmented evidence into a coherent explanatory framework. Research Methods: Following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, we conducted a systematic literature review of 19 valid peer-reviewed studies retrieved from the Dimensions database, using thematic synthesis and cross-context comparative analysis. Findings/Results: Spiritual leadership consistently operates through organizational and psychological mechanisms that strengthen organizational culture, trust, engagement, and well-being, leading to innovation, resilience, organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), and sustainable performance. These mechanisms vary across organizational and socio-cultural contexts. Conclusion: Spiritual leadership is best understood as a context-contingent leadership process. The proposed Context-Contingent Spiritual Leadership Framework offers a stronger theoretical foundation for future research and context-sensitive leadership practice.]]>
