Kepemimpinan transformasional merupakan model kepemimpinan yang dijalankan dengan memberi nilai positif lebih sehingga mampu membangkitkan motivasi dalam diri pengikutnya dan menghasilkan kinerja yang melebihi harapan. Fokus dalam penelitian ini adalah (1) Peran Kepala Sekolah melalui dimensi kepemimpinan transformasional dalam membangun budaya sekolah di SD YIMI Full Day School Gresik, (2) Kontribusi budaya sekolah dalam pembangunan karakter siswa di SD YIMI Full Day School Gresik. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif metode deskriptif dengan rancangan penelitian studi kasus. Teknik pengumpulan data menggunakan observasi partisipan pasif, wawancara, dan studi dokumentasi. Sedangkan, analisis data dilakukan dengan cara kondensasi data, penyajian data, dan verifikasi data. Untuk menguji keabsahan data peneliti menggunakan kredibilitas, dependabilitas, transferbilitas, dan konfirmabilitas.

    Hasil penelitian ini menemukan bahwa (a) kepemimpinan transformasional dijalankan Kepala Sekolah dengan menerapkan 4 dimensi yaitu dimensi pengaruh ideal, dimensi motivasi menginspirasi, dimensi rangsangan intelektual dan dimensi pertimbangan yang diadaptasi. Pada dimensi pengaruh ideal, kepala sekolah menggambarkan sosok yang kharismatik dengan dengan ditunjukkan melalui perilakunya yang menjalankan beberapa program dalam rangka membangun budaya sekolah. Program tersebut antara lain, program Tahfidz Qur’an, Budaya senyum salam sapa santun, program Siswa Terpuji, Program Environment Learning dan Budaya Sholat Berjama’ah. Pada dimensi motivasi menginspirasi, kepala sekolah memberikan motivasi secara rutin kepada guru-guru melalui kegiatan pengarahan yang dilakukan sebelum kegiatan pembelajaran. Pada dimensi rangsangan intelektual, kepala sekolah membudayakan cara berpikir yang kreatif  inovatif kepada guru dan siswa yaitu melalui sistem studi-problem solving dalam evaluasi kegiatan pada akhir pembelajaran dan program Environment Learning.  Pada dimensi pertimbangan yang diadaptasi kepala sekolah mengikutsertakan guru-guru pada kegiatan pelatihan yang digunakan sebagai upaya peningkatan profesionalitas. (b) Program-program yang dijalankan kepala sekolah difungsikan untuk membangun budaya. Karakter yang diwujudkan melalui program-program tersebut antara lain sikap Iman dan Taqwa kepada Tuhan Yang Maha Esa, disiplin, mandiri, berintegritas, kesopanan, kerjasama, gemar membaca, peduli dan tanggungjawab, berwawasan luas, saling menghargai dan berbudaya. 

Kata Kunci: Kepemimpinan Transformasional, Kepala Sekolah, dan Budaya Sekolah

Transformational leadership is a model of leadership that is carried out by giving more positive values to arouse motivation in followers then follower will produce performance that exceeds expectations. The focus in this research are (1) The Role of the Principal through the transformational leadership dimension in a building school culture in SD YIMI Full Day School Gresik, (2) The contribution of school culture in developing character of students in SD YIMI Full Day School Gresik. This study uses a descriptive qualitative method with  a case study research design. Data collection techniques using passive participant observation, interviews, and documentation studies. Then, the data analysis is done by data condensation, data presentation, and data verification. To test the validity of the data the researcher uses credibility, dependability, transferability, and confirmability.

                The results of this study found that (a) transformational leadership is carried out by the Principal with applying 4 dimensions, the dimension of idealized influence, inspirational motivation,intellectual stimulation and individual consideration. In the dimension of idealized influence, the principal portrays a charismatic figure by showing through his behavior that runs several programs  to build school culture. These programs include the Tahfidz Qur'an Program, the culture of smiling greetings, Siswa Terpuji Program, Environment Learning Program and the congregational Prayer Culture. On the dimension of inspirational motivation, the principal provides routine motivation to teachers through directing activities carried out before the learning activities. On the dimension of intellectual stimulation, the principal cultivates innovative creative ways of thinking to teachers and students with the system namely problem-solving studies that doing in evaluation activities at the end of learning and the Environment Learning program. And on the dimensions of Individual considerations that were adapted by the principal involved teachers in the training activities that were used as an effort to increase professionalism. (b) Programs run by school principals are functioned to build culture. The characters that are realized through these programs include the attitude of Faith and Taqwa to God, discipline, independent, integrity, courtesy, cooperation, fond of reading, caring and responsibility, broad-minded, mutual respect and cultured.

Keywords: Transformational Leadership, Principal, and School Culture