School leadership in uncertain times: identifying dimensions of effective principal leadership

Abstract

ABSTRACT Through this study, we address the challenges that U.S. principals faced in the recent COVID crisis and analyse their leadership responses. Our purpose for this study was to identify the leadership practices of school principals that are effective in navigating a school crisis. We used the three dimensions identified in the National Preparedness Leadership Initiative (NPLI) to explore meta-leadership as a framework for identifying school leadership practices under circumstances of extreme pressure and stress. Using transcripts from a broader national qualitative study of U.S. public school principals in 19 different states, we used a purposeful sampling technique to identify 18 of these transcripts for analysis. From our data analysis, we organise our findings into three primary themes based on the NPLI framework: attributes of the principal, perceptions and actions of the principal, and the principal's connections to stakeholders. Within each of these primary themes, we developed sub-themes to highlight the leadership practices of school principals across the U.S. as they navigated the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic. We found that high emotional intelligence, collaboration, care of others, and attention to the unique context of the school community are extremely important aspects of school leadership during a crisis.