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There is a vast amount of literature which identifies characteristics of effective schools and effective classrooms. This paper examines selected studies and their findings and provides an organizing framework which tries to relate these findings to one another and to the school and its environment. A number of implications for school improvement are discussed.

The purpose of this paper is to undertake a personal, historical, analytical and interpretive investigation of the evolution of the concept of authentic leadership in educational administration/leadership over a number of decades.

The paper includes the author's reflections on his own journey on the topic as well as an analysis of the contributions of great researchers, theorists and writers since early in the twentieth century but, especially, since the early 1960s.

While there is no coherent body of literature on the development of the concept of authentic leadership, there is a general discernible trend starting with a focus on self (know thyself, to thine own self be true); to considering and defining self in relationships; to accepting that there is a moral force behind notions of self-fulfillment; to recognising that authentic leaders operate in a real post-modern (perhaps post-post modern) world of pressures, paradoxes and ethical challenges. This is often a world of standards, assessment and accountability for performance outcomes.

The paper draws on the author's own research journey and legacy on the topic as well as the contributions of “giants in the field” who have continually pushed the envelope when exploring the topic and closely interrelated topics.

What do school administrators do when discharging their administrative responsibilities? How do they spend their days? Their weeks? Their years? What constitutes the basic content of their administrative behavior? Despite decades of research in educational administration, we are unable to answer these deceptively simple, but fundamental questions. This lacuna in the literature provided encouragement for pursuing this present study as a relatively untapped approach to describing and analysing the administrative behavior of school superintendents. The central problem of the study was to observe and describe the actual on‐the‐job behavior of the superintendent of schools so as to develop a composite view of his administrative behavior.

An attempt is made to redefine educational leadership and to create a new “practical theory” of educative leadership which is of relevance to all concerned with the management of education. The approach, techniques and early outcomes of a research project in Australia designed in 1985 and mounted in 1986 to create the new “theory” are reported.

The maintenance of a distinction between management and leadership behaviours at the conceptual and/or practical level negates the search for a “practical theory” of leadership. If management is viewed as an art, management and leadership behaviours are inextricably intertwined in an organisational setting. Both activities are part of the cultural action of an organisation.

There is growing evidence of a worldwide shortage of persons willing to apply for vacant principal positions in schools. Reports a study about why more persons are not applying for principal positions in Catholic schools in New South Wales, Australia. An analysis of the career aspirations of those eligible and likely to apply at some stage for a principal position revealed a high level of “unwilling” respondents. Ranks and discusses ten factors identified from a study of their perceptions of issues that would discourage or encourage them to apply. The most significant negative factor is the impact on family and personal life. Others include gender issues and the nature of the selection and interview process. The significant positive factor is that principals have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others. Reflections on the findings include addressing the changing nature of school culture, the implications for the principalship and the need to develop a culture of leadership in schools.

First describes the current context of cynicism about the quality and integrity of many of our leaders in contemporary public and private sector organizations and the culture of “artifice” prevailing in many of these organizations. Then presents a conceptual framework for authenticity in leadership in organizations. The elements of the framework include: the need to identify “authentic self” in terms of significant values and relationships; the centrality of authentic relationships to effective leadership; the need in organizations for conditions for authentic learning; the way in which governance and organization can facilitate or inhibit authentic relationships and learning. Proposes a leadership praxis which links the theory, practice and ethics of leadership, responds to many of the concerns about the lack of honesty and integrity in leadership, and acts as a counterbalance to the artifice and deception prevalent in leadership in many contemporary organizations.

Disturbing complaints about certain student travel organizations have been made in recent months. In their dealings with the British Universities Foreign Study Association (BUFSA) and the International Student Travel Association (ISTA) students at the City of London Polytechnic and Manchester Polytechnic were concerned about the apparent inefficiency of the organizations.