Educational leaders in the making

Abstract

For much of this century the characteristics and traits of leadership have stimulated a great deal more interest than the character of leaders. This is so despite the fact that studies and theories which attempt to describe, analyse and explain the personality of leaders have attracted the attention of many of the greatest of historians and dramatists over the last two thousand years. As Gardner points out "few systematic efforts have been undertaken to pinpoint the early markers of leadership" (1995, p.32). In examining the life histories of leaders, Gardner stresses the importance of such key themes as their family background, education, personality and special feelings, willingness to challenge authority and take risks, the stories they advanced and the counter-stories they had to struggle with, personality characteristics, work habits and life and ultimate successes and failures (1995, p.327-41). In this study of heads of school, and headship at secondary level we have sought to consider their lives in terms of some of these themes. In addition, we have been influenced by research which has sought to construct typical life histories of the careers of leaders. It is these to which we now turn. [Excerpt from Chapter 1]