Principals’ Leadership to Improve the Quality of Early Childhood Education at The 4.0 Era

School Principals are an internal school entity possessing a strategic influence on the creation and realization the quality of school. Leadership is considered relevant for improving the quality of Early Childhood Education (ECE) in responding the 4.0 era. Therefore, the aim of this research is to outline knowledge, skills, and personal traits needed by principals to respond the fourth industrial revolution. The data collection methods employed was in-depth interview to 10 selected ECE principals and documentation. Questionnaire was also used to gained the data about school principal's leadership skill. Finding shows that school that schools’ principal leadership competencies needed in the 4.0 era are understanding principals’ role as leader of learning, leader of student entitlement, leader of capacity building, leader of community, and leader of resource management. Among those competencies, principals at early childhood thought that schools’ principal role as a leader of resource management is the most important aspect that impact to school leadership success in improving the quality of early childhood education. This study also reveals that a good school principal should perform good emotional intelligence that are self-awareness, social awareness, relationship management, and self-management.