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JOURNAL OF ENGLISH EDUCATION AND TECHNOLOGY 

Vol. 03 No. 03, October 2023, pp. 270 - 284 

Available online at:  

http://jeet.fkdp.or.id/index.php/jeet/issue/current 

ISSN: 2721-3811 (media online) 

 

Assertive Behavior of Women Leaders Create Excellent Performance 

(Case study at Pondok Pesantren Al Husna Al Alawi Senori Tuban) 

  

Siti Fatimah1, Siti Nurrohmah2 

Institut Agama Islam Al-Hikmah Tuban,  

sitifatimah1411@gmail.com1, sitinurrohmahmpi2018@gmail.com2 

 

Abstract 

Today's women's leadership has become a public conversation. Various controversies regarding women's 

leadership began to emerge. Even among the fuqoha' up to Islamic philosophers also debated about the law of 

female leadership. This is due to the development of world civilization so that it shifts the entire order of life. 

Leaders who have assertive behavior are needed in an organization. This assertive behavior tends to be 

possessed by a male leader because by nature a man is a firm, confident, and firm person. In contrast to the 

nature of a woman who is always considered weak and does not have the ability to lead. However, the fact is 

that currently women are able to compete with men by sticking to their feminine behavior in the domestic 

sphere and being tough figures in the public sphere. The researchers also found this assertive behavior in the 

head of the Al-Husna Al-Alawi Putri Islamic boarding school. This type of research is descriptive qualitative 

research in which all data and findings will be presented in descriptive form. Sources of data researchers 

obtained through the process of interviews, observation, and documentation. The results of the study showed 

that the head of the Al-Husna Al-Alawi Putri Islamic boarding school had assertive behavior in which the 

existence of this assertive behavior made the performance of the administrators increase. This assertive 

behavior can be seen from the way of leading, communicating, coordinating, giving directions, to giving 

warnings and motivation to all members of the board. Efforts made by the head of the Al-Husna Al-Alawi 

Putri Islamic boarding school in creating superior performance include through education and training, 

incentives, providing motivation, and creating a clean and comfortable learning environment. 

Keywords: Assertive, Female Leaders, Management Performance 

 

http://jeet.fkdp.or.id/index.php/jeet/issue/current
http://u.lipi.go.id/1580741566
mailto:sitifatimah1411@gmail.com1
mailto:sitinurrohmahmpi2018@gmail.com


271 
 

I. INTRODUCTION 

Women with their feminine nature are 

able to position themselves both in the 

domestic sphere and in public. Along with 

the development of the times, the nature of 

women as housewives began to erode little 

by little and began to transform into career 

women. It is not uncommon; a woman is in 

front of men who at first glance seem 

stronger. In fact, women are also able to 

replace men as leaders with a style that is 

unique to women themselves. Although 

many scholars are still against women's 

leadership, there are not a few scholars who 

allow this with various considerations 

accompanied by several conditions. 

Meanwhile, women in the 5.0 era have 

started to change their femininity to become 

masculine, or sometimes collaborations 

between the two styles. 

Women who are always considered 

weak on the other hand also have high 

empathy. It is this empathetic nature that 

will make women's leadership unique so that 

women can easily create a harmonious and 

open work atmosphere. Today's women are 

very different from before. Today, women are 

more courageous and have strong mentality 

and confidence. So that it can give birth to 

assertive / assertive behavior in him. 

However, the courage and self-confidence of 

these women are still limited to domestic 

ones. When in the public sphere, women's 

mental tends to decline. Therefore, assertive 

leaders, especially women leaders, are 

needed in an organization. Many women 

have assertive behavior in the domestic 

sphere, but not many women leaders have 

this assertive behavior. 

Women leaders who have assertive 

behavior will find it easy to express their 

opinions and point out faults and 

deficiencies that exist within the 

organization. So that the organization can 

continue to evaluate and reform for the 

better. The head of the Al-Husna Al-Alawi 

Islamic boarding school has assertive 

behavior and applies it in creating superior 

performance. Efforts made by the head of the 

Al-Husna Al-Alawi Islamic boarding school 

include education and training, work 

motivation, incentives, and the creation of a 

clean and comfortable work environment. 

II. METHOD 

This research uses a type of descriptive 

qualitative research. Qualitative research as 

an approach that allows researchers to 

observe experiences in detail using specific 

methods such as in-depth interviews, Focus 

Discussion Group (FGD), observation, 

content analysis, virtual methods, and life 

history (biography) (Haryono, 2020).  

Descriptive is the presentation of data in the 

form of a description through the study of 

activity forms, characteristics, changes, 

relationships, similarities, and differences 

with other phenomena. The main object of 

this study is the chairman of the Al-Husna 

AL-Alawi Putri Islamic boarding school. So, 

in this study the researcher will try to dig up 



272 
 

the data and present it in the form of a 

description. 

III. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 

Women's Leadership 

A leader is someone who has a big 

responsibility in organizing, mobilizing, 

controlling, and evaluating its members in 

order to achieve organizational goals 

effectively and efficiently. In the book At-

Tarbiyah Wat-Tahdi Explained that the 

leader is a person who becomes an 

intermediary in helping religion, enforcing 

the law, making decisions, preventing evil, 

governing the area, etc. While leadership is 

defined as a person's ability to move, direct, 

as well as influence the mindset, way of 

working of each member so that each 

member acts independently in work, 

especially in making decisions for the benefit 

of accelerating the achievement of 

predetermined goals. Griffin and Ebert also 

said that leadership is the process of 

motivating others to want to work in order 

to achieve the goals that have been set 

(Wijono, 2018). So, the leader is the actor 

while leadership is the process of leading 

itself. 

Women Leaders in the Perspective of 

Islamic Law 

Women are gentle and have high 

empathy for anyone. Biologically, women 

will become weak when they menstruate, 

give birth, and breastfeed, causing 

controversy regarding the law of leadership. 

Many scholars salaf which does not allow a 

woman to become a leader because of her 

caution in enforcing Islamic sharia laws. The 

law is based on the Al-Qur'an (An-Nisa' 

verse 34); "The men are the leaders of the women, 

because God has preferred some of them (men) over 

others (women)"  

In the verse above it is stated that Allah 

has made men as leaders over women and 

gave advantages between the two. This verse 

is interpreted by Al-Zamakhsary in his book 

that some of the advantages possessed by 

men include potential intellect, courage and 

will, determination and strength. Given 

these advantages, God chose them to be 

prophets and apostles, scholars', muadzin, 

preacher, etc (Arsal & Imran, 2020).  

Therefore, it is appropriate for a man to be a 

leader. 

However, afterwards there is the word 

"Allah exalted some of them over the others" 

which can be interpreted that these 

advantages cannot be a barrier for a woman 

to become a leader. Because of the advantages 

that God has given to each individual, both 

male and female. So, it can be concluded that 

leaders are not determined by gender, race, 

and ethnicity. Rather, based on the strengths 

he has, he is able to become a role model, 

leader and role model for everyone. The study 

of the interpretation of Surah An-Nisa' above 

is reinforced by the explanation in Surah Al-

Anbiya' verse 73: "We made them the leaders who 

give guidance at Our command and We revealed to 

them (command) to do good, to establish prayer, and 

to pay zakat, and only to Us they worship". 



273 
 

In the interpretation of Al-Misbah, 

“aimmah” is the plural form of imam which 

means role model. A priest must have 

privilege over his followers. He not only has 

the ability to explain instructions, but also 

the ability to guide his followers in a good 

direction. The requirement to become a 

leader or priest is to have a noble personality.  

In addition, the interpretation also explains 

that leadership and exemplary leadership 

must be based on faith, piety, knowledge, 

and success in various exams. That's why 

leadership is not bestowed upon tyrannical 

people.  

Apart from those two verses, in the 

book Riyadlus Sholihin There is a hadith 

about leadership on the authority of Ibn 

Omar: (All of you are guardians and each of 

you is responsible for his guardian, and the 

prince is a guardian, and the man is a 

guardian of her household, and the woman is 

a guardian of her husband’s house and his 

children, so all of you are guardians, and each 

of you is responsible for his caretaker). "It was 

narrated from ibn Umar R.A. from the Prophet 

Muhammad SAW. said: everyone is a leader, and will 

be held accountable for his leadership. A ruler is a 

leader. Men are also leaders over their families, and 

women are leaders over their husbands' homes and 

their children. So, everyone is a leader and will be held 

accountable for his leadership. [H.R. Muttafaqun 

Alaih] 

In this hadith, it has been explained 

that everyone is a leader and will be held 

accountable for his leadership. There is no 

specific context for a man to become a 

woman. In fact, it is also explained that 

women can be leaders for their husband's 

house and their children. From this 

statement, it can be interpreted that a 

woman is allowed to be a leader. Why is it 

said that women lead the house of their 

husbands and their children? Because in 

general women are experts in the field of 

taking care of the house and children. In the 

sense that as long as a woman has the ability 

to take care of, manage, coordinate anything, 

she deserves to be made a leader. Not only in 

the domestic sphere but in the public sphere.

  

From the two studies of interpretation 

and hadith above, it can be concluded that a 

leader is not based on gender. All are equal 

before God. What distinguishes it is the level 

of piety and closeness to Allah. This is in 

accordance with the study of Sufism which 

states that the relationship between men and 

women appears fair and equal. Because the 

main teachings of Sufism are cleanliness of 

the heart and closeness to God. 

Thus, discrimination against women 

has been eliminated. Gender equality was 

created by R.A. Kartini through her 

emancipation of women. Stereotypes about 

women's duties for cooking, dress up and 

giving birth have shifted. And starting to be 

able to position yourself to become a public 

figure in the public sphere as well as being a 

friendly housewife in the domestic sphere. 



274 
 

So, Islamic law never prohibits a woman 

from becoming a leader as long as she has the 

ability and still maintains her nature as a 

woman. 

Characteristics of Female Leaders  

In essence, a woman has a gentle 

character, is not confident, and does not 

stand firm. In terms of biology, a woman will 

become weak during menstruation, 

childbirth, breastfeeding, etc. Therefore, 

women are often discriminated against by 

men so they are not given the opportunity to 

become a leader. However, the fact is that 

currently great women have gone global and 

occupy the front seats beating men. Women 

when leading will have their own 

characteristics and use a distinctive 

leadership style as well. In general, there are 

3 leadership characteristics, namely: 

1. Standard bearer 

This means that a leader must be able 

to create a fun working and learning 

environment. A beautiful work environment 

will bring comfort to the people around it. 

2. Developer (Developer) 

This means that a leader is able to 

develop human resources and achieve 

superior performance in the context of 

organizational growth. In developing human 

resources, professional leaders are needed. 

Because, in developing human resources, 

training or special programs are needed so 

that there is a significant increase in the 

performance of members. 

3. Unifier 

That is, leaders are able to organize, 

condition, and control all types of activities 

that have been programmed in an 

organization. In addition, leaders are also 

able to unite all members in one container 

which is able to cooperate and compete in a 

healthy manner in achieving organizational 

goals. 

In addition, Imam Al-Farabi said that a 

leader must have 12 characteristics, 

including: physically healthy, intellectual 

perfection, the ability to speak, have good 

morals, be wise, understand the traditions 

and culture of his people, and the ability to 

make the right rules (Anshori, 2015).  

Meanwhile, based on the researcher's 

analysis, there are several special characters 

possessed by the leader of the Al-Husna Al-

Alawi Islamic boarding school. These 

leadership characteristics include: 

1. Pioneer 

An effective leader is a leader who is 

able to mobilize, direct, and influence the 

morale of his members in order to optimize 

the achievement of organizational goals. A 

good leader will be able to move his members 

so that they are able to always work together 

in completing tasks. As was done by the 

chairman of the Al-Husna Al-Alawi Islamic 

boarding school 

2. Desire to lead 

Desire is someone's desire to do 

something. A leader sometimes has the desire 

to lead and sometimes not. This is because 

sometimes a leader leads out of compulsion, 



275 
 

thus making him lack the desire to lead. In 

contrast to a leader who has the desire to 

lead, he will be able to mobilize and manage 

his members to work actively and 

transparently in order to achieve goals 

optimally. 

3. Honest 

Honest nature must be owned by 

everyone, especially owned by a leader. This 

trait is related to the openness characteristic 

that is not only owned by the leader but also 

by its members. With these properties, it can 

minimize the emergence of risks in a job. 

Because if there is openness, honesty, and 

consistency in work, all problems will be 

solved easily. Based on the data collected by 

the researchers, it can be concluded that the 

chairman of the Al-Husna Al-Alawi Islamic 

boarding school has high honesty and 

integrity. 

4. Be confident 

Leaders who have high self-confidence 

tend to have a strong mentality so that they 

will be resilient when facing any problems 

that exist. In addition, a leader who has high 

self-confidence will not make his members 

hesitate in making him a motivator and role 

model at work. The self-confidence 

possessed by the chairman of the Al-Husna 

Al-Alawi Islamic boarding school can be seen 

from his style when leading in deliberations 

and outside deliberations. 

5. Intelligent 

Intelligent, Agile, And Responsive Are 

The Characteristics That A Leader Must 

Have. Intelligent Leaders Are Needed In An 

Organization. Because, with his intelligence, 

he will bring up brilliant ideas so that he can 

improve the optimization of organizational 

goals. Based on the results of the researcher's 

observations, it shows that the head of the 

Al-Husna Al-Alawi Islamic Boarding School 

is quite intelligent and responsive in carrying 

out and coordinating all activities in this 

Islamic boarding school. 

6. Relevant knowledge 

It is fitting for a leader to know in 

detail about his work and have sufficient 

knowledge to lead him in completing his 

work. If the leader understands the work of 

his members, he will be able to provide 

direction and coordination easily. This trait 

is also shared by the chairman of the Al-

Husna Al-Alawi Islamic boarding school. 

7. Extraversion 

As explained in the first point. A leader 

who has high morale will automatically 

increase the morale of his members as well. 

This high work ethic can be triggered by 

several things, such as giving work 

motivation, giving appreciation (reward), 

and be professional. Chairman of the Al-

Husna Al-Alawi Islamic boarding school also 

has high morale and is able to provide good 

motivation to all board members and 

students. 

Female Leadership Style 

 Leadership style is one of the 

important elements in determining the 

success of achieving the goals of an 



276 
 

organization. According to Heidjrachman 

and S. Husnan, leadership style is a pattern of 

behavior designed to integrate 

organizational goals with individual goals to 

achieve certain goals.  Leadership style 

greatly influences the quality of member 

performance. Leaders who have a good 

leadership style will be able to direct, 

coordinate and create good relationships 

with their members (Fitriani, 2015). In 

general, leadership styles are divided into 

three, namely: 

1. Autocratic Leadership Style 

This leadership style makes the leader 

a source of policy. All members must submit 

and comply with all policies of the leader. 

Members are very restrained by 

organizational regulations and are not 

allowed to express their opinions. Thus, 

there is no openness between members and 

leaders so it is difficult to establish a good 

relationship between the two. 

2. Democratic Leadership Style 

This leadership style states equality 

between the leader and the led. Members are 

free to express their opinion. While the 

leader is only in charge of directing, guiding, 

and controlling the course of activities 

within an organization. In this leadership. 

Leaders and members are both active so that 

equality and good teamwork arise between 

the two. 

3. Leadership Style Let it be 

This leadership style gives freedom to 

members, so that all decisions are also left to 

members. In this leadership, the leader is 

passive and cannot be an example for his 

members (Karwati & Priansa, 2017).   

 Based on the meta-analysis of gender 

and leadership style by Eagly and Johson 

concluded that women's leadership styles 

are more democratic than men in the same 

organization. Eagly and Johson also 

mentioned that gender differences in 

leadership lie in the leadership style. Female 

leaders tend to lead with feminine and 

masculine leadership styles, as shown in the 

table below. 

Feminine and Masculine characteristics 

According to the contingency theory, 

leadership states that there is a relationship 

between leadership styles and certain 

situations that are required. According to 

feminine Masculine 

Not aggressive Aggressive 

Depends Does not depend 

Emotional Not emotional 

Very subjective Very objective 

Easily influenced 

Passive 

Not easily 

influenced 

Active 

Not competitive competitive 

It's hard to make a 

decision 

Easy to make 

decisions 

Not independent Independent 

Needs a sense of 

security 

Not really in need 

of a sense of 

security 



277 
 

these tori, an effective leader is determined 

by a leadership style that is appropriate to 

the situation that occurs. This approach 

suggests that two sets of task behavior and 

relationship behavior are needed. Thus, 

allowing the birth of four leadership styles, 

namely: 

1. Directing, meaning that this style has a 

high task behavior but has a low 

relationship. 

2. Selling, meaning that this style has the 

same high task behavior and relationship 

behavior. 

3. Participate, meaning that this style has 

low task behavior but has high 

relationship behavior. 

4. delegating, meaning that both task 

behavior and relationship behavior are 

equally low (Fatimah, 2020).  

The head of the Al-Husna Al-Alawi 

Islamic boarding school uses a democratic 

leadership style with a mixed leadership type 

between feminine and masculine. Because in 

this modern era, women are able to position 

themselves in the domestic and public 

spheres. Women will be feminine when they 

are in the domestic sphere and tend to lead in 

a masculine style when in the public sphere. 

The head of the Al-Husna Al-Alawi 

Islamic boarding school uses a democratic 

leadership style by prioritizing deliberation 

in every decision-making. Because, the 

chairman of the Al-Husna Al-Alawi Islamic 

boarding school practiced the Al-Qur'an 

surah Al-Imron verse 159: 

ََلُمم   لِنمَت   ِ اّللٰه َن  مِٰ ٍَة  َرْحم ِمنم   ۚ  فَِبَما  ا  وم َفضُّ ََلن م المَقلمِب  َغِليمَظ  َفظًّا  َوَلوم ُكنمَت 

ِلَك   رِ   ۚ  َحوم َمم اَلم ِِف  َوَشاِورمُهمم  ََلُمم  تَ غمِفرم  َواسم ُهمم  َعن م ُف  َت    ۚ  فَاعم َعَزمم فَِاَذا 

 ِ لم َعَلى اّللٰه َ  ۚ  فَ تَ وَكَّ بُّ المُمتَ وَكِِٰلْيم َ ُيُِ  ( 159) اهل عمران:  ١٥٩ِانَّ اّللٰه

It means: "Then, thanks to the grace of God, 

you (Prophet Muhammad) behave gently towards 

them. If you are harsh and rude, of course they will 

stay away from you. Therefore, forgive them, ask 

forgiveness for them, and consult with them in all 

(important) matters. Then, when you have made up 

your mind, put your trust in God. Indeed, Allah loves 

those who trust." (Ali 'Imran: 159) 

From the verse above, it is explained 

that there is a recommendation to lead gently 

and a prohibition to be rude and harsh 

because it will make everyone stay away 

from you. In addition, there is also a 

recommendation to forgive each other and 

consult in all matters. So, consultation is very 

necessary in an organization in order to 

create openness between leaders and 

members. So that there is no conflict and 

misunderstanding arising from the existence 

of a set policy. Having a consultation will 

cause several positive impacts, including: 

1. Problem solved easily 

2. Get the best solution for every problem 

3. Policy can be well received by all members 

In this case, the chairman of the Al-

Husna Al-Alawi Islamic boarding school 

held meetings with the administrators to 

discuss the work program and evaluate the 

work program every month. As for internal 

issues, he will consult with the core board of 



278 
 

the Al-Husna Al-Alawi Islamic boarding 

school. 

Assertive Behavior 

According to Rini, assertive behavior is 

an ability to communicate what one wants, 

feels and thinks about to others, but still 

maintains and respects the rights of others. 

Meanwhile, according to Lloyd, assertive 

behavior is behavior that is active, direct, and 

honest. This means that this behavior is able 

to communicate an impression of respect to 

oneself and others so that one can view the 

wants, needs and rights of others when 

interacting. 

Assertive behavior tends to be owned 

by a male leader compared to a female leader. 

Because the nature of women who are 

feminine tends to be difficult to have 

assertive behavior. female leaders will always 

feel shy towards their members when asking 

for help, giving reprimands and expressing 

opinions according to their wishes. In 

addition, women also have a high sense of 

empathy so it is difficult to behave 

assertively and stand firm. Women who have 

assertive behavior will turn 180 from its 

original nature. 

Leaders who have assertive behavior 

will be able to build harmonious 

relationships with their members, resulting 

in intimacy and openness between the two 

(Aziz, 2019a). In addition, with assertive 

behavior, leaders will be able to give direct 

warnings and point out mistakes made by 

members so that all errors and deficiencies 

that exist in the organization can be 

corrected. Thus, assertive behavior is needed 

by a leader in order to be able to move the 

wheels of the organization effectively and 

optimally. According to Fenster Hein and 

Baer, there are several characteristics of 

assertive behavior including: 

1. Free to express opinions 

Expressing opinions is the right of all 

Indonesian citizens. However, not everyone 

is able to express their opinion well in public. 

In expressing opinions, it takes courage and 

a strong mentality in order to have high self-

confidence. 

The leader of the Al-Husna Al-Alawi 

Putri Islamic boarding school has the 

courage and high self-confidence so that he is 

able to express his opinion freely and is able 

to lead deliberations well. In addition, the 

head of the Al-Husna Al-Alawi female 

Islamic boarding school also applies a 

democratic leadership style so that it gives 

freedom to its members in expressing 

opinions. This leadership style can lead to 

familiarity and openness between the two. 

2. Able to communicate well 

Everyone is capable of being a leader. 

But not everyone is capable of being a good 

leader. A good leader is a leader who is able 

to speak well when in public. Ability 

Multitasking tends to be owned by a woman. 

As Helen and Fisher argue in Anisa Fitriani's 

Journal that: “Basically, women have the basic 

characteristics to be successful as leaders. They tend 

to be more patient, empathetic, and multitasking- 



279 
 

able to work on several things at once and also have a 

talent for interweaving, networking and negotiating” 

(Fitriani, 2015). In communicating, you must 

also pay attention to the manners in 

communicating, including: 

a. Should speak well and politely 

Someone who speaks should be able to 

adjust to the other person. so that the 

interlocutor is able to digest all the 

conversation properly. Speaking also must 

be adjusted to who we are talking to. Like 

maqola "Speak to people according to their 

intellect" according to their intellectual 

abilities. Manners like this have been 

explained in the book At-Tarbiyah 

Wattahdiib that should speak with good and 

useful speech. Like a poem which means: 

"There is nothing left of enjoyment except talking to 

someone who has sense." 

So, in speaking, you must be able to 

adjust to the other person and be able to 

adjust to the situation when speaking. 

b. Speak in detail / in detail 

In speaking, one needs to clarify what 

he says and detail it so that the other person 

can easily understand it. This is already 

implied in the hadith of the Prophet, which 

means: "Narrated from Sayyidah Aisyah R.A. said, 

Rasulullah SAW. when speaking he uses detailed 

speech so that everyone who listens to him 

understands." [H.R. Abu Dawud] 

c. Speak with a friendly intonation and 

facial expression 

Intonation when speaking is very 

necessary. Because, even though our 

language is polite, the high intonation will 

give a different impression to the other 

person. In the book At-tarbiyah Wattahdiib 

explained that there is a prohibition to speak 

in a loud voice. Speaking must use a 

moderate voice according to needs. In the 

book there is also a prohibition to speak very 

fast so as to confuse the other person. So, 

intention and facial expressions must be 

arranged in such a way as to provide comfort 

to the other person. 

d. Look at the other person (eye contact) 

Eyes can express a person. In 

psychology, a person who lies will have their 

pupils dilated. Therefore, we need to look at 

the other person so that we know the 

expression he emits through those eyes. 

Talking with eye contact will appear more 

polite and provide comfort for the other 

person. 

3. Able to start, continue, and end a 

conversation 

Someone who has the ability to 

multitask can vary the conditions and 

situations in speaking. In starting a 

conversation, especially in greeting forums, 

the head of the Al-Husna Al-Alawi Islamic 

Boarding School greets its members first so 

as to create a relaxed atmosphere of 

deliberation. Because the chairman of the Al-

Husna Al-Alawi Putri Islamic boarding 

school is a humorous person, he also gives a 

little reflection and joke with its members. 



280 
 

As well as at the end of the forum he also 

provides an opportunity for its members to 

express complaints and opinions so that all 

problems can be solved easily. 

4. Has the ability to reject things that are not 

feasible 

A good leader is a sportsman like 

leader, able to properly reject something that 

is less problematic, and able to provide 

solutions to any existing problems (Aziz, 

2020). Women leaders tend to be feminine 

support and too empathetic to others that he 

is unable to reject anything that is not 

worthy. However, a leader who has assertive 

behavior will be able to easily reject anything 

that is inappropriate because he is able to 

position himself according to the conditions 

of the organization. The head of the Al-

Husna Al-Alawi Islamic boarding school for 

girls is also able to refuse anything that can 

cause trouble while maintaining the rights of 

its members. He will give a warning and 

reject the inappropriate opinion in a subtle 

way, either directly or indirectly, as well as 

when in the forum or outside the forum. 

5. Can ask for help or give help 

As in the previous point, women tend 

to have character support, so he also does not 

have the courage to ask others for help. Even 

women prefer to do all the work themselves 

rather than asking others for help. Leaders 

who have assertive behavior are able to ask 

for and provide assistance easily to their 

members so they can get all the work done 

easily. The need for mental strengthening 

and self-training for women leaders to be 

able to ask for help properly (Khairani et al., 

2017). 

In the Al-Quran it has been explained 

about the importance of helping fellow 

human beings in matters of virtue. It means: 

"Help each other in (doing) virtue and piety, and do 

not help each other in committing sins and enmity. 

Fear Allah, verily Allah is very severe in His 

punishment." (Al-Ma'idah/5:2) 

Based on the characteristics of 

assertive behavior above, it can be concluded 

that this behavior is very important to grow 

in the soul of a leader, especially in female 

leaders. Because her gentle nature requires 

her to be able to transform into a strong 

woman when in the public sphere. The 

suggestion to have an assertive attitude has 

also been stated in the Al-Quran Surah An-

Nahl verse 125: Meaning: "Call (people) to the 

path of your Lord with wisdom and good teaching 

and debate them in a better way. Indeed, your Lord 

knows best who is lost from His path and He knows 

best who is guided." (An-Nahl/16:125) 

The word wisdom in the verse can be 

interpreted as a firm and wise behavior so 

that one is able to distinguish between one 

and the others and which in valid Based on 

the verse above, a good leader is 

recommended to have assertive behavior, be 

able to give good teachings, and be able to 

debate and deliberate well too. 

Creating Superior Performance 



281 
 

Performance is the result of a job. 

According to Robbins, performance is a 

result achieved by employees in their work 

according to certain criteria that apply to a 

job.  Meanwhile Dessler stated that employee 

performance is work performance, namely 

the comparison between work results that 

are seen in real terms with predetermined 

work standards (Khairani et al., 2017).  That 

is, this performance will be a benchmark in 

assessing the success of an organization in 

achieving its goals (Prasetiyani, 2020). 

In measuring work success, it can be 

seen from the following indicators: 

1. Work quality 

Quality of work is how well an 

employee/administrator does what he is 

supposed to do. 

2. Working quantity 

Work quantity is how long an 

employee/administrator works in one day. 

The quantity of this work can be seen from 

the work speed of each 

employee/administrator. 

3. Task execution 

Implementation of tasks is how far 

employees are able to do their work 

accurately and without errors. 

4. Responsibility 

Responsibility for work is awareness 

of the employee's obligation to carry out the 

work given by a company/institution. The 

chairman of the Al-Husna Al-Alawi Islamic 

boarding school in creating superior 

performance has made several efforts, 

including: 

1. Education and Training 

This education and training are an 

effort to increase general knowledge and 

understanding of the work environment as a 

whole. Education itself means an effort to 

increase understanding in general either 

through direct teaching, observation, or in 

other ways. There are differences in the 

process of education and training in formal 

and non-formal institutions. In formal 

institutions, education and training are 

carried out through programs such as 

seminars, workshop, etc.  

In educational and training 

institutions it is simpler. Like the education 

and training carried out at the Al-Husna Al-

Alawi Islamic boarding school. This 

education and training were carried out 

before the change of management from the 

old order to the new order. The concept of 

implementing education and training 

includes: 

a. Overhauling the management and moving 

members to other sections that are 

deemed more appropriate 

b. Assistance for prospective new 

management by the old management for 

one month 

c. Evaluate the performance of prospective 

managers 

d. Selecting suitable candidates for new 

management 



282 
 

All of these implementation processes 

are carried out in an effort to improve the 

performance of the management. Some 

administrators will explore new sections 

every year. In order to gain various 

organizational experiences. 

2. Work motivation 

Motivation is a support and 

encouragement given to someone in the hope 

of increasing enthusiasm for work (Aziz, 

2019b). Motivation itself can be in the form 

of direct speech or narrative, action, or in the 

form of writing. A leader who is able to 

motivate his members will be a role model 

and beTop Leader in an organization. So, 

members will be motivated by the leader's 

actions that should be emulated. As 

explained in Surah Al-Ahzab verse 21: Indeed, 

in the Messenger of God, you have a good example for 

those who hope in God and the Last Day, and 

remember God much (Al-Ahzab: 21). 

 Meaning: "Indeed, in (self) Rasulullah 

really there is a good role model for you, (namely) for 

those who hope (grace) Allah and (arrival) Day of 

Judgment and who remember Allah a lot."(Al-

Ahzab:21) 

Motivation is needed in creating 

harmony in an organization and influencing 

the quality of work of employees. The head of 

the Al-Husna Al-Alawi Islamic boarding 

school also provides motivation to board 

members through direct speech both inside 

and outside the forum as well as through 

their daily actions. 

3. Incentives 

Incentives are an attraction that is 

deliberately given by a manager to its 

members in order to increase member 

performance. That is, this incentive is like a 

gift reward to members of the board as an 

appreciation for the quality of their work. As 

a reward This can increase the spirit of 

competitiveness of board members in 

achieving organizational goals optimally. 

4. Work environment 

The work environment is a very 

internal thing in an organization. A clean and 

comfortable work and study environment 

greatly influences organizational 

performance. Procurement of a clean and 

comfortable work environment is carried out 

by the chairman of the Al-Husna Al-Alawi 

Islamic boarding school by cooperating with 

all members of the management, especially 

the cleanliness section in its implementation. 

The chairman gives directions and tasks to 

the cleaning section to coordinate the daily 

picket. In addition to procuring daily 

pickets, all board members are also 

encouraged to provide a comfortable 

learning environment through planting 

flowers, and providing adequate facilities to 

make it easier for students to reach any 

access. The provision of these facilities 

includes television as entertainment for the 

students, a washing machine to make it 

easier for the students and shorten their time 

and energy, fans in every corner of the room 

and room to provide comfort for the students 



283 
 

and planting flowers to make it look 

beautiful. 

 

Conclusion 

 Assertive behavior is a firm behavior 

that is owned by a person and is able to 

convey mistakes to others without fear but 

while still respecting the rights of others. 

Assertive behavior tends to be owned by 

male leaders rather than female leaders. 

Because, women have feminine 

characteristics, making it difficult to 

implement this assertive behavior. However, 

the fact is that the chairman of the Al-Husna 

Al-Alawi Islamic boarding school is able to 

behave assertively in driving his organization 

and strives to create superior performance so 

that organizational goals can be achieved 

optimally. 

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