A discussion of the relative lack of research into e-leadership in educational technology in education is followed by an outline of selected prior literature in the field. The paper proposes that, as part of a natural evolution of educational technology research, considerably more attention needs to be focused on research and development in e-leadership. Building on selected prior literature, an updated framework of principles for effective "e-leadership" of educational technology is proposed, with specific reference to higher education, building on selected insights derived from e-leadership literature and on the author's experience of 30 years of professional practice, scholarship and research into educational technologies and leadership in education. The paper proposes the development of a new fifth "age" of educational technology research in which it is argued that more critical, selective, strategic e-leadership approaches to the adoption and use of educational technology need to be progressed through research, development and training as the field matures.