An Examination of Transformational School Leadership Qualities of Elementary Principals

Abstract

School leadership is an integral part of fostering a positive culture and climate in schools. The art of leading schools establishes a mission and vision that yields positive student learning outcomes. The leadership style that cultivates a school environment of community, excellence, and collegiality is transformational leadership. Transformational leadership qualities in school principals aid in developing sustainable and successful schools. Using a qualitative framework, three elementary school principals share their experiences of leading teams in the midst of a global pandemic while serving on a panel discussion. The findings from the panel discussion identified the themes of mindfulness, radical candor, professionalism, relatability, resilience, and engagement. These themes provide the skills needed for aspiring school principals to lead schools toward a vision of academic excellence.