Developing Authentic Leadership In Novice Principals Through Leadership Coaching

The principalship today challenges the most experienced and capable of leaders. The increasingly rigorous demands of educating a diverse population for a highly competitive global world necessitates exceptional school leadership. Training novice principals before their leadership begins and continuing to support their development during their first several years has become an urgent responsibility for universities and school districts. This study employed a mixed-methods approach to explore the relationship between leadership coaching and the development of Authentic Leadership, a leadership construct that stresses the importance of leadership grounded in values and self-awareness. An online administration of the Authentic Leadership Questionnaire was administered to two groups of novice principals. One group had received leadership coaching and the other had not. Responses were examined for differences in Authentic Leadership traits between the groups. Semi-structured interviews with coaches and coachees provide a qualitative look at the impact of leadership coaching on leadership development. The research findings provide insight for districts looking to enhance their principal development programs.