Developing the Leadership Capability of Headteachers

The leadership of schools involves emotional as well as rational capabilities. Emotions are integral to teaching and learning and their management. Teaching, learning and educational management are therefore influenced by non-rational forces. As a consequence, learning to ‘manage’ this emotional dimension is essential in the leadership development of headteachers. In this article, we use the findings from our work in the Esmee Fairbairn Trust ‘Heads You Win’ Programme where we explored with primary headteachers the emotional dimension of their leadership. In the first part, we conceptualize the role of emotion in organizations. We then analyse the headteachers’ perceptions of their role and present a framework that describes those perceptions. We then examine the emotions associated with the headteacher role in relation to our framework. Finally, we theorize the findings and suggest ways of developing the leadership capabilities of headteachers that will enable them to better manage the emotional dimensions of their role.