LEADERSHIP CHARACTERS IN MALAYSIAN RELIGIOUS-NGOs: AN INTRODUCTORY OVERVIEW

Leadership is a key function and process to unlock the effectiveness and enhancement of any organisation development including Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) and ReligiousNGO (RNGO). This can be done through at least three main characteristics i.e., charismatic, transformational and servant leadership. Previous research proved that these characteristics are relevant for NGOs, but less study is found on RNGO. RNGO is a form of NGO that is well known in its active role in contributing to a harmonious, as well as religious society. This paper will focus on the concept of leadership for RNGO and seeks to do some introductory study on the identity of Malaysian Muslim RNGOs by looking into different characters of leadership applied to different RNGOs based on their ethnicity identities. In short, using the qualitative method of documentation analysis and literature review, this paper aims to identify leadership characters of three different types of RNGOs which are the Malay, Indian Muslim and Chinese Muslim RNGOs. This early study is to investigate whether those three leadership characteristics are already applied or suitable to be applied in these ethnicity-based RNGOs. The introductory study found that all the three selected Islamic RNGOs representing the Malays, Chinese and Indians are adopting and practicing charismatic, transformational and servant leadership in executing organisations’ objectives, and would possibly be a yardstick to effective RNGO leadership development in the future. Keyword: Leadership characters, Religious-NGO, charismatic, transformational, servant 1 Ph.D Candidate, Department of Siasah Syar’iyyah, Academy of Islamic Studies, University of Malaya