Legitimisation of women leaders in school education is a new area of study in India. The present study is carried out by developing a conceptual model and subjecting it to empirical evidence from 20 women school heads of different states in India. It seeks to know how women establish legitimacy as leaders in schools. Women's leadership-focused behaviours interacting with gender perspectives provides them avenues to navigate passivity of education system, building trust with community and love for children. They diffuse glass-cliff, illegitimacy and backlash effects by ignoring gendered notions or addressing them boldly, grow as experts, work at system level, swapping between promotion-focused and prevention-focused leadership behaviours adapting rational and traditional gender perspectives to their advantage according to the circumstances to establish their legitimacy as leaders.