As an instructional leader, the principal is instrumental in facilitating the adjustment to the more advanced school environment by supporting teachers and students in their endeavors. The present study investigates the moderated mediation model of how change leadership impacts instructional leadership effects on school culture and teachers' teaching performance. To this end, 459 junior high school teachers from 39 pesantren in Indonesia were surveyed, and the collected data were then examined with factor analysis and Hayes' (2013) bootstrapping technique. The results of the analysis indicate that the principal's instructional leadership has a direct and indirect effect on teachers' teaching performance through school culture. Furthermore, the findings suggest that when the professional relationship between teachers and their principals is characterized by higher change leadership, the indirect effect of the principal's instructional leadership on teachers' teaching performance through school culture is greater. This study provides evidence that principals' instructional leadership is a collaborative process as opposed to a top-down leadership model.