“I made it”: Israeli‐Palestinian women principals as leaders

Abstract

PurposeThis study aims to analyze the construction of the meaning of leadership by two Arab women school principals in Israel who are “pavers of the way”.Design/methodology/approachInterviews in which the women exposed their life stories were subjected to discourse analysis in light of a three‐layered functional approach and leadership theories. The study investigated: characteristics of the leadership development of two Arab women principals and expressions of leadership at different life stages.FindingsAnalysis showed that these women have strong motivation, and from an early age dared to swim against the stream, achieving their goals with family support after serious battles. As the first women principals in their communities, they continued to develop, under pressure to prove their ability as leaders in Arab patriarchal society.Research limitations/implicationsThis is a qualitative study with a non‐representative sample, providing rich insights into the lives of two Arab women principals.Practical implicationsThis study shows that life stories can serve as tools to diagnose future leaders and their specific patterns of behavior.Originality/valueAnalysis of figurative positioning that was manifested consistently in these women's narratives provides new understanding regarding women's leadership in patriarchal societies, indicating that childhood experiences of leadership exposed in personal stories can serve as predictors for narrators' adult leadership patterns.