How might leadership be taught? The use of story and narrative to teach leadership

Abstract

The paper describes a rationale and method for crafting and analysing stories of leadership and administrative practice. Doctoral and administrative licensure students enrolled in a course on leadership development interviewed experienced school administrators and educational leaders. Interviews were audiotaped and written transcriptions produced as the basis for writing a story of leadership. These stories described the personal and professional biography of experienced practitioners and included self-reports on how administrators performed in specific situations. The stories illustrated some of the explicit rules used by administrators to manage problems and the more tacit assumptions embedded in practice. Excerpts from a single story are presented followed by discussion of the key values and meaning of the story. Narrative provided the opportunity for further interpretation of data and reflection on leadership.