A Comparative Study of Leadership Attributes of Pakistani and Indonesian Principals in Public Schools

Abstract

Research studies have shown that leadership plays a significant role in improving schools across various educational settings and countries. This study examines the leadership attributes of principals from Pakistan and Indonesia and their correlation with specific leadership styles. A male principal from Pakistan and a female principal from Indonesia working in junior high public schools participated in this qualitative descriptive study. The data were collected using the research instrument, namely ‘Leadership Attributes of My Principal’, which asked questions related to the eight leadership attributes: self-management, time management, influence, comfort, decision-making, commitment, communication, and empathy. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data collected through interviews with the principals. The study found that self-management, time management, influence, comfort, decision-making, and commitment are important attributes of effective school principal leadership in both countries. The leadership styles under the influence of the leadership attributes employed by the principals in the study varied, with some exhibiting democratic, transformational, laissez-faire, and autocratic leadership styles.