Understanding Leadership Core Skills for Education in an Era of Digital Disruption and Transformational Change

Abstract

This study presents a bibliometric analysis of research on leadership core skills in educational settings, with a specific focus on the context of digital disruption and transformational change. Using Scopus as the primary database, a total of 389 documents published between 2010 and 2025 were analyzed. The results indicate a steady growth in scholarly output, with strong contributions from Southeast Asian authors, particularly from Malaysia and Indonesia. Highly cited works emphasize digital leadership and crisis-responsive competencies. Keyword co-occurrence and network visualization reveal thematic clusters centered on higher education, professional development, systems thinking, and digital transformation. The findings show that digital and transformational leadership concepts are increasingly integrated into the educational leadership discourse. This study identifies research gaps and recommends future studies to focus on contextual leadership competency models, cross-institutional comparisons, and the role of soft skills such as emotional intelligence and communication. The analysis contributes to a deeper understanding of the evolving demands on educational leaders in a rapidly changing global landscape.