In this paper we argue that understandings and practice of leadership continues to be constrained by adherence to the "heroic" image, even in depictions of distributed and transformational leadership. We advocate making space for quantum leadership, those instances of direction-setting that emanate from the demos rather than its representatives.…

Results from the Tasmanian Successful School Principal Project (SSPP) survey concur with the four major leadership tensions and dilemmas identified in a background literature review. These tensions and dilemmas relate to internal/external control, ethic of care/responsibility, and an emphasis on professional/personal as well as…

The mission statements of 34 four-year and of 68 two-year colleges in the State of Texas were examined for themes to determine the extent to which their themes were similar or dissimilar in nature. Although previous researchers have attempted to analyze and demonstrate that these mission statements often have reoccurring themes, only limited…

The Swedish schools have been under pressure for change for several decades. How leaders behave can be of vital importance in times of change. The principal is responsible for both the educational program and for the school budget. Two hundred Swedish principals (male and female) responded to questionnaires concerning their leadership style,…

In line with other public sector provision, the English school system has been subject to modernization since the advent of the New Labour government in 1997. This article views the reform of education in the light of the movement towards new public management and traces the process of the reform of workforce remodeling that has seen the shedding…

This article considers the question of how current understandings of leadership might be situated, characterized, and expressed through study and practice in organizations. The perspective presented in the article asserts a broad base for the possibility of leadership action--it is not restricted ground. My assumption is that although the…

Through long interviews with five outstanding male educational leaders, the authors share their stories and primary lessons on leadership development. The stories portray leadership as being perceived primarily as an evolutionary process characterized by family and teacher nurturance, community and spiritual centeredness, and responsive caring.…

Despite the educational reform initiatives outlined in programs similar to and in the American 2000 plan, conspicuously absent is any in-depth discussion regarding the growing rate of poverty among youth in inner cities. It is a poverty which engulfed one in seven youth in 1970, one in six in 1980, one in five in 1990, and one in four in 2000.…

This article reflects one part of a research study about the need for dynamic leaders to exercise social and political acumen. As part of the study, I interviewed 10 principals who had been nominated as dynamic leaders. The interview questions focused on the principals' experiences and their understanding of the role of social and political acumen…

This article presents findings from an exploratory study that compared and contrasted leadership succession planning in two large Ontario school districts with focus on three themes: (a) leadership succession planning, (b) recruitment and selection, and (c) professional and organizational socialization of school administrators. Among the findings…

The purpose of this paper is to examine traditional organizational structures and leadership styles in Canada, to assess their responsiveness to a changing educational, social and political context, and to propose an alternative approach. We argue that the educational enterprise would benefit from distancing itself from these traditional models,…