This study examines principal leadership through evaluative discussions from an Islamic educational management perspective. Principals, as leaders of Islamic educational institutions, play a strategic role in determining the direction, quality, and organizational culture of schools/madrasas. Evaluative discussions, as instruments of deliberation (shura), are deliberative mechanisms rooted in Islamic tradition and have proven effective in improving the quality of leadership policies. By integrating Islamic leadership values such as shiddiq, amanah, tabligh, and fathanah with a participatory evaluation approach, this paper demonstrates that evaluative discussions are not merely technical-managerial tools, but rather shura practices that strengthen the legitimacy and accountability of principal leadership. Using theoretical frameworks from Muhaimin (2009), Ahmad Tafsir (2012), Wahab and Umiarso (2011), and Fischer's (2003) deliberative evaluation approach, this study presents relevant evaluative discussion models, the challenges of their implementation in madrasas and Islamic schools, and strategies for strengthening deliberation-based leadership capacity. The main findings confirm that effective principals are leaders who are able to foster a culture of open discussion, accept criticism graciously, and use evaluation results as a basis for continuous policy improvement.
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