Transformational Leadership: Attractions of Women and Minority Recruits to the Principalship

Abstract

Reform strategies for upgrading educational administration call for a revised conception of the role of principal as transformational leader and a different mechanism for recruiting and selecting principal candidates, especially women and minorities. This article reports an investigation of the attractions to the principalship perceived by women and minorities recruited into a preparation program that emphasizes a more transformational view of the principal's role. A cohort of 14 women and minorities received questionnaires upon entry to the preparation program and were interviewed at the end of the program to identify attractions, disincentives, and aspirations to a reformed view of the principalship. The findings suggest that perceptions of the critical nature of the plight of urban youngsters, the commitment to improving learning environments, and the desire to create change are attractors for women and minorities. The study also found that these recruits are not attracted to any school setting but look for contexts which support their commitment to urban education and the desire to make changes. The article identifies implications for recruitment and preparation programs.