Purpose: The purpose of this paper can be summarized in the following research questions: How do male school leaders perceive the role of an educational leader and educational leadership in general? What are some of the male school leaders' leadership styles and features? What distinctive factors influence and hinder the leadership process for men in Greek primary schools? Are there any perceived gender differences in educational leadership? What are the attitudes and the level of motivation that male school leaders have towards promotion? Design/methodology/approach: The study utilizes a qualitative approach to explore the views and perceptions of Greek male school leaders in a profound manner. The main research tool is in-depth semi-structured interviews that are employed to a final sample of 20 respondents. Findings: The results are represented in a systemic model, which outlines the various influencing and resulting notions. For instance, a wide range of influencing factors are revealed alongside a series of leadership styles and behaviors that are displayed by male school leaders in Greece. Moreover, the research paper offers a concise sum of concepts that are deemed to portray leadership effectiveness. Research limitations/implications: Further research may be undertaken in the specific or other sectors, in order to determine or test the various concepts that have arisen. The findings also offer useful recommendations for male school leaders and related stakeholders to understand the educational leadership process in a better way. Originality value: As there is a lack of relevant empirical work both in the fields of educational leadership of males and educational leadership in Greece, this project aids in understanding important issues and reveals additional factors that are exceedingly relevant to educational leadership of males in Greece. (Contains 1 table and 7 figures.)