Purpose: Grounded in social cognitive theory, this study examines the role of responsible leadership in enhancing the reputation of universities within Bangladeshi higher education. Specifically, it explores the antecedents, outcomes and moderating factors influencing university reputation by connecting it with responsible leadership, teaching satisfaction, and faculty academic performance. Design/methodology/approach: Data were collected from a web-based online survey of 388 faculty members across public and private universities in Bangladesh. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothesized relationships. Findings: The study shows that responsible leadership significantly improves university reputation and faculty teaching satisfaction. Teaching satisfaction influences reputation but does not moderate the link between leadership and reputation. Surprisingly, university reputation does not significantly affect faculty's perceived academic performance, underscoring the complexity of the reputation-performance relationship in the Bangladeshi context. Practical implications: Universities should prioritize responsible leadership to enhance faculty satisfaction and institutional reputation. Leadership training, faculty support initiatives and resource allocation toward teaching excellence are recommended to maximize impact, as reputation does not directly influence academic performance. Originality/value: This study applies social cognitive theory to investigate the dynamics between responsible leadership, faculty satisfaction and university reputation in a developing country. It contributes by uncovering the complex and indirect pathways through which leadership impacts academic environments, providing actionable insights for higher education leadership and policymaking in resource-constrained settings.