The emotional aspects of leadership for social justice: Implications for leadership preparation programs

Abstract

Purpose

The paper seeks to examine the potential implications for leadership preparation programs of the intersection between emotions and leadership for social justice.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology followed was grounded in an ethnographic case study of a Greek‐Cypriot principal who struggled to transform his elementary school into a community that truly included students from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds.

Findings

The findings of the case study highlight: the vision and practices of leadership for social justice; the ambivalent emotions of social justice leadership; and strategies for coping with the personal and structural dimensions of social justice leadership.

Practical implications

The practical implications are discussed in relation to the emotional knowledge and skills that are needed for preparing social justice leaders to navigate emotionally through existing school structures and to cultivate critical emotional reflexivity about the changes that are needed to school discourses and practices so that justice and equity are placed at the center of school leadership.

Originality/value

The paper offers insights into the emotional aspects of leadership for social justice, focusing on the implications for leadership preparation programs.

Citation

Zembylas, M. (2010), "The emotional aspects of leadership for social justice: Implications for leadership preparation programs", Journal of Educational Administration, Vol. 48 No. 5, pp. 611-625. https://doi.org/10.1108/09578231011067767