This introductory article examines the elusive concept of Europeanisation and discusses the implications of this process for educational leadership, especially as it applies to the formation of school leaders. With an eye to Europeanisation, the article also investigates four pertinent themes extrapolated from the scholarly discussion contained in this special issue of the European Educational Research Journal that may be relevant to the broader context of European educational leadership. These themes are: European understandings of the nature and purpose of educational leadership; the practice of educational leadership in the contemporary European policy environment; the preparation, development and support of school leaders according to a European coordinated approach; and the veracity of a Europeanised educational leadership.