Early Years of Leadership

As an educational leader spanning almost three decades, I find "The Early Years of Leadership: The Journey Begins" a delightful must read for both the seasoned and up and coming educational leader, whose objective is a successful career at leading in a changing and challenging educational environment. I commend the Editorial Team for providing a guidebook for managing challenges faced by novice leaders; suggestions for crafting a leadership philosophy; and advice on how to negotiate micro-politics and challenges in schools. Those involved in leadership training and principal preparation would also find this a useful text since it includes vignettes and reflection questions that are sure to generate robust discussion and facilitate the deconstruction of key leadership concepts."— Abel Adekola, Wilkes University"The stories of the leaders throughout this book demonstrate that leadership is a journey. While there is no predetermined timeline, the pace of progress can be influenced by one's participation in reflective practice, engagement in a community of practice and the availability of ongoing professional development. By providing them with the insight and information needed to understand better the vital role leaders play in fostering school success, The Early Years of Leadership: The Journey Begins can assist administrators with the necessary knowledge and guidance to create leaders of learning that can respond to the increasing societal challenges our schools face."— Camille Rutherford, Brock University

• Foreword; Camille Rutherford.Introduction; Ian A. Marshall, Denise E. Armstrong, and Grace-Anne Jackman.Acknowledgments.Section I. Challenges, Pitfalls, And Strategies.Chapter 1. Developing Resilience of Novice Female Administrators to Address the Challenges, Barriers, and the Changing Nature of the Principalship; Bernadette Dos-Santos Mendes and Benjamin Kutsyuruba.Chapter 2. The Journeys of Two Novice Leaders in Education: Adjusting to the Role; Rawatee Maharaj-Sharma.Chapter 3. Uncertainty and Dilemma: How Did I Make It as a New Principal? Joycelyn Archibald Pennyfeather.Section II. Grounding Your Leadership In A Dynamic School Environment: Crafting Your Identity And Philosophy.Chapter 4. Beyond the Two-Eyed Seeing: Navigating Indigenous Leadership in Multiple Worlds; Chas Desjarlais and Fei Wang.Chapter 5. Barriers to Middle Leadership and Strategies to Overcome Them; Rene Wihby.Chapter 6. Making Role and Relationship Explicit: Forming Principal and Vice-Principal Partnerships; Gary J. Swain.Chapter 7. Using a Reflective Lens to Shape Your Leadership Philosophy: A Principal's Perspective; Patricia Ann Springer.Section III. Negotiating Micro-politics In The School And Interactions With External Agencies.Chapter 8. A Balancing Act: Equitable Leadership Demands and Institutional Obligations; Perez Oyugi.Chapter 9. Ethical Responsibility for Educational Organizations; Gail Markin and Fei Wang.Chapter 10. Leading Schools While Managing the Influence of Individuals and Agencies; Hyacinth Harris.Chapter 11. Developing a Leadership Platform Through Community Engagement; Hazel M. Carter.Chapter 12. The Elusive Goal of Work-Life Balance: Lessons From Women Leaders on Creating a Meaningful Work Life Fit; Karen Edge and Lisa Gallimore.About the Editors.About the Contributors.