Women and Educational Leadership

Foreword by Beverly Hall ix

Introduction: Women Leaders Redefine Leadership 1

1. Five Ways Women Lead 5

Relational Leadership 6

Leadership for Social Justice 10

Spiritual Leadership 13

Leadership for Learning 18

Balanced Leadership 21

2. Our Status: Women School Administrators 27

History of Gender and School Leadership Research 31

Gender and Leading for Change 36

3. A New Way: Diverse Collective Leadership 41

Leading Collectively for Change 44

Relational Power 46

Social Network Theories and Change 48

Fluid Lines of Communication 51

The Power of Cognitive Shifts 54

Stages of Cognitive Shifts 57

4. A Closer Look at Collective Leadership in Practice 63

From Distributed Leadership to Diverse Collective Leadership 64

Three Ways to Support a Dynamic Culture 66

The Power of Integration: A Personal Skill 69

Working With and Through Others 72

School as Social Movement 75

5. Beyond Gender? 83

Leadership Shaped by Women 84

Making Meaning of Leadership 89

Embracing the Power of the Collective 92

Sustainable Leadership 96

Conclusion: Generating the Power of a Diverse Collective 101

References 107

Index 123