<![CDATA[This study systematically reviews empirical literature on the role of leadership in strengthening work engagement among employees in public organizations. Its originality lies in positioning leadership not only as an antecedent of engagement, but also as a multidimensional job, social, and moral resource in bureaucratic and service-oriented public institutions. Using a PRISMA-based systematic literature review, articles were searched in OpenAlex, SAGE Journals, ScienceDirect, SpringerLink, and Emerald for the 2020-2026 period. From 316 identified records, 21 empirical studies met the inclusion criteria and were synthesized thematically. The review shows that transformational leadership is the most frequently examined form, followed by transactional, authentic, ethical, servant, participative, interpersonal, health-oriented, mindful, character-based leadership, and leader-member exchange. Leadership strengthens engagement through psychological capital, psychological contract fulfilment, meaning of work, job satisfaction, organizational justice, public service motivation, leader-member exchange, work environment, and well-being. The findings imply that public organizations should develop leaders who are able to translate bureaucratic targets into meaningful work, provide fair feedback, support employee participation, and protect employee well-being. Future studies need more longitudinal, qualitative, and mixed-method designs to explain causal mechanisms in different public-sector contexts.]]>
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