Women and Educational Leadership

Women and Educational Leadership presents a new way of looking at leadership that is anchored in research on women leaders in education. The authors examine how successful women lead, and offer suggestions and ideas for developing and honing exemplary leadership practices.

This groundbreaking book shows how the qualities that characterize women's approaches to leadership differ from traditional approaches--whether the traditional leader is a woman or a man. The authors reveal that women leaders tend to bring an instructional focus to

leadership, include spiritual dimensions in their work, and strive for balance between the personal and professional. In addition, women leaders are more collaborative by nature and

demonstrate a commitment to social justice. The authors include illustrative examples of leaders who have brought together diverse groups to work toward a common goal. This

book will help the next generation fulfill the promise of a new tradition of leadership.

Women and Educational Leadership is part of the Jossey-Bass Leadership Library in Education series.

"This book eloquently recognizes and validates the successful leadership approaches used by women educational leaders." --SANDRA V. BUENDÍA, principal, Jackson Elementary, Salt Lake City School District

"Margaret Grogan and Charol Shakeshaft bring together over two decades of diverse practice and research crafted by and about women in educational leadership." --C. CRYSS BRUNNER, associate professor, Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development, University of Minnesota

"An extremely enlightening and encouraging book." --JEAN LIPMAN-BLUMEN, author of Connective Leadership: Managing in a Changing World

"This book provides a framework for redefining the joys and challenges all leaders face." --MARY ANN HARDEBECK, assistant superintendent for personnel services, Loudoun County Public Schools, Virginia

MARGARET GROGAN is dean of the School of Educational Studies at Claremont Graduate University.

CHAROL SHAKESHAFT is the department chair of Educational Leadership at Virginia Commonwealth University.

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