Educational leadership practice is embedded and shaped in its own context. However, contemporary policy makers are keen to use research findings from multiple educational systems to produce overall, generic models of best leadership practice. Therefore, research needs to encompass analyses of the political, societal, cultural, and institutional context of leadership. This article argues that research also needs to analyze the broader context and historical processes in which leadership is embedded: the practice, structure, values and norms of the local and greater communities that emerged over time and are still present as a sounding board for new perceptions and influences.