AUTHENTIC LEADERSHIP OF MAHATHIR: MALAYSIAN LOCAL LEADERSHIP STYLE

Abstract

This study explores Mahathir Mohamad’s leadership through the lens of authentic leadership theory, analyzing its impact on Malaysia’s political stability, economic development, and governance framework. As Malaysia’s longest-serving Prime Minister, Mahathir played a crucial role in shaping the nation’s trajectory, implementing transformative policies such as Vision 2020 and the Look East Policy to drive modernization, industrialization, and self-sufficiency. His leadership embodied key attributes of authentic leadership, including self-awareness, relational transparency, balanced processing, and internalized moral perspective, while also integrating elements of authoritarian pragmatism and strategic governance to maintain national stability. The study employs a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) methodology, adhering to PRISMA guidelines, to critically examine 53 high-quality academic sources that discuss Mahathir’s leadership style in relation to authentic leadership, nationalism, economic sovereignty, and political pragmatism. Findings reveal that Mahathir’s visionary leadership and strong nationalist stance contributed to Malaysia’s economic transformation and political consolidation, while his authoritarian tendencies in governance sparked debates on democratic freedoms and governance ethics. Despite criticisms of his firm control over political institutions and media, Mahathir remained goal-oriented and pragmatic, ensuring Malaysia’s resilience in times of economic and political crises, including the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis. This study contributes to the theoretical understanding of authentic leadership within a non-Western political context, demonstrating how leadership authenticity can coexist with pragmatic and authoritarian decision-making. Practically, it offers insights for political leaders, policymakers, and governance scholars, emphasizing the importance of balancing vision, pragmatism, and ethical governance. The study also identifies avenues for future research, including comparative leadership analysis, the impact of Mahathir’s leadership on institutional development, and the role of authentic leadership in crisis management. By contextualizing Mahathir’s leadership within Malaysia’s political culture, this study advances the discourse on leadership effectiveness in multicultural and developing nations.