This groundbreaking book presents a new way of looking at leadership that is anchored in research on women leaders in education. The authors examine how successful women in education lead and offer suggestions and ideas for developing and honing these exemplary leadership practices. Women and Educational Leadership 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 are more collaborative by nature and demonstrate a commitment to social justice. They tend to bring an instructional focus to leadership, include spiritual dimensions in their work, and strive for balance between the personal and professional. This important book offers a new model of leadership that shifts away from the traditional heroic notion of leadership to the collective account of leadership that focuses on leadership for a specific purpose like social justice. The authors include illustrative examples of leaders who have brought diverse groups to work toward common ground. They also show how leadership is a way to facilitate and support the work of organizational members. The ideas and suggestions presented throughout the book can 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 groundbreaking book presents a new way of looking atleadership that is anchored in research on women leaders ineducation. The authors examine how successful women in educationlead and offer suggestions and ideas for developing and honingthese exemplary leadership practices.Women and Educational Leadership shows how the qualitiesthat characterize women's approaches to leadership differ fromtraditional approaches?whether the traditional leader is a woman ora man. The authors reveal that women leaders are more collaborativeby nature and demonstrate a commitment to social justice. They tendto bring an instructional focus to leadership, include spiritualdimensions in their work, and strive for balance between thepersonal and professional.This important book offers a new model of leadership that shiftsaway from the traditional heroic notion of leadership to thecollective account of leadership that focuses on leadership for aspecific purpose--like social justice. The authors includeillustrative examples of leaders who have brought diverse groups towork toward common ground. They also show how leadership is a wayto facilitate and support the work of organizational members. Theideas and suggestions presented throughout the book can help thenext generation fulfill the promise of a new tradition ofleadership.Women and Educational Leadership is part of theJossey-Bass Leadership Library in Education series.

Foreword by Beverly Hall ixIntroduction: Women Leaders Redefine Leadership 11. Five Ways Women Lead 5Relational Leadership 6Leadership for Social Justice 10Spiritual Leadership 13Leadership for Learning 18Balanced Leadership 212. Our Status: Women School Administrators 27History of Gender and School Leadership Research 31Gender and Leading for Change 363. A New Way: Diverse Collective Leadership 41Leading Collectively for Change 44Relational Power 46Social Network Theories and Change 48Fluid Lines of Communication 51The Power of Cognitive Shifts 54Stages of Cognitive Shifts 574. A Closer Look at Collective Leadership in Practice 63From Distributed Leadership to Diverse Collective Leadership 64Three Ways to Support a Dynamic Culture 66The Power of Integration: A Personal Skill 69Working With and Through Others 72School as Social Movement 755. Beyond Gender? 83Leadership Shaped by Women 84Making Meaning of Leadership 89Embracing the Power of the Collective 92Sustainable Leadership 96Conclusion: Generating the Power of a Diverse Collective 101References 107Index 123