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With research pointing to increased levels of stress and work demands on school leaders, attention has turned to examining the factors that contribute to their well-being. Studies have also shown that many school administrators not just survive but also thrive in their work and succeed despite work-related challenges. Furthermore, some principals e...
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... was defined for participants as a state where individuals experience a momentum of satisfaction and fulfillment throughout their lives. The participants' responses pointed to a high sense of thriving in the workplace, characterized by high levels of vitality, energy, and spirit, as well as a positive outlook on their personal growth, development, learning, and improvement as an individual in the workplace (Table 4). The items with the highest mean showed the principals' continuous learning with time (M = 5.13) and positive progression of views (M = 5.00). ...Context 2
... was defined for participants as a state where individuals experience a momentum of satisfaction and fulfillment throughout their lives. The participants' responses pointed to a high sense of thriving in the workplace, characterized by high levels of vitality, energy, and spirit, as well as a positive outlook on their personal growth, development, learning, and improvement as an individual in the workplace (Table 4). The items with the highest mean showed the principals' continuous learning with time (M = 5.13) and positive progression of views (M = 5.00). ...Citations
... After being piloted among school principals, the finalized survey instrument included 62 closed questions and 12 open-ended questions, which were thematically organized based on the systematic review of the literature into the following sections: flow, thriving, resilience, grit, and well-being. These constructs were identified in the literature on positive psychology as critical for the notion of flourishing, and the connection and correlations between these constructs for this particular study have been established and discussed elsewhere [65]. ...
The decrease in well-being of school leaders has become an area of concern among scholars and practitioners around the world. Globally, increasing social, political, economic, educational, and professional demands faced by school administrators have led to an unmanageable workload, stress, burnout, and a lack of work-life balance. However, some principals thrive amidst challenges and are recognized by various national and international awards as outstanding school leaders. Examining the challenges that award-winning school principals face can both prevent conditions that decrease their well-being and help understand coping strategies and support systems necessary for successful school leadership. Our study examined the sense of flourishing among the national award-winning principals in the Canada's Outstanding Principals (COP) program that recognizes outstanding contributions of principals in publicly funded schools. In this article, we describe participants' perceptions regarding the significance of principal well-being, barriers and challenges to their well-being, coping strategies to promote and sustain their well-being, and necessary policy and school system supports for enhanced principal well-being.
... Trust is a two-way construct (Brower et al., 2000;Louis and Murphy, 2017;Sue-Chan et al., 2012). There is a reciprocal relationship between the school leader and other school members (Kutsyuruba et al., 2024). When principals trust their staff, they are also likelier to trust them (Browning, 2014). ...
Faculty trust in educational leadership is a linchpin of schools' functionality and efficacy. Teachers' trust in their school leaders can significantly influence the work environment, teacher retention and student achievement. Our study, which employed a comprehensive mixed-methods approach, including 1320 questionnaires and interviews with 40 teachers and 5 principals, has identified eight practices, behaviours and actions (Fairness, Respect, Consistency-Reliability, Trusting the Teachers, Setting the Example, Competence-Organisation, Confidentiality, Open Door-Support) that foster robust trust in school leaders. These findings are not just insights but practical suggestions that school principals can implement to enhance faculty trust. By applying these insights, school principals can create a more trusting environment, improving teacher retention and student achievement. Furthermore, policymakers can use these insights to develop training initiatives that promote the growth of trustworthy educational leaders locally and internationally.
... This article draws from an extensive mixed-methods study (Kutsyuruba, 2022;Kutsyuruba et al., 2023Kutsyuruba et al., , 2024Kutsyuruba, Kharyati, et al., 2021) that examined the sense of flourishing of the national award-winning principals in the Canada's Outstanding Principals (COP) program. Although no longer active (as of 2022), this program was established in 2004 by the Learning Partnership in association with the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management and the Canadian Association of Principals (Lowrey, 2014). ...
... For our larger study, an electronic survey was used to glean awardwinning principals' perceptions in relation to the following constructs in the overall sense of flourishing: flow, thriving, resilience, and grit. These constructs were identified in the literature on positive psychology as critical for the notion of flourishing, and the connection between these constructs for this particular study has been established and discussed elsewhere (Kutsyuruba et al., 2024). ...
School leaders in Canada face increasing social, political, economic, educational, and professional demands, which often lead to increased workload, stress, burnout, decreased well-being, and lack of work-life balance. Research demonstrates that school principals with high levels of resilience are better at coping with stress and crisis, are generally more effective as leaders, are more connected to schools and districts, and have lower levels of compassion fatigue. Examining the challenges that school principals face can both prevent conditions that decrease their well-being and help understand coping strategies and resilience-building approaches necessary for successful school leadership. Drawing from the study of flourishing among the national award-winning principals in the Canada's Outstanding Principals (COP) program, in this article we describe the participants' perceptions regarding their resilience as school leaders, the conditions that discouraged school principals in their role, and the approaches that allowed them to develop their personal resilience. The article offers recommendations on how school administrators can overcome the challenges and flourish by fostering resilience and growing a resilient mind-set.
... The job responsibilities and workload for school principals have drastically expanded and become overwhelming in recent years (Allen, 2022;Elomaa, Eskelä-Haapanen, Pakarinen, Halttunen & Lerkkanen, 2023;Pollock, Nielsen & Singh, 2023). With this increase in responsibilities and workload, it has been shown by several researchers (Kutsyuruba, Arghash, Kharyati & Bosica, 2024;Memela & Ramrathan, 2022) that principals are confronted with various daunting educational challenges, and unbearable work demands. This can, in turn, cause enormous pressure on school principals, resulting in stress, burnout, and emotional exhaustion (Kutsyuruba et al., 2024;Gómez-Leal, Holzer, Bradley, Fernández-Berrocal & Patti, 2021). ...
... With this increase in responsibilities and workload, it has been shown by several researchers (Kutsyuruba, Arghash, Kharyati & Bosica, 2024;Memela & Ramrathan, 2022) that principals are confronted with various daunting educational challenges, and unbearable work demands. This can, in turn, cause enormous pressure on school principals, resulting in stress, burnout, and emotional exhaustion (Kutsyuruba et al., 2024;Gómez-Leal, Holzer, Bradley, Fernández-Berrocal & Patti, 2021). Thus, when principals do not possess the necessary skills to manage the workload, demands and challenges they encounter, it may have severe negative consequences for the school as a whole. ...
... Furthermore, Elomaa et al. (2023) and Turk and Wolfe (2019) report that, in more extreme cases, principals may even opt to resign when they lack the ability to manage the daily demands as a principal effectively. According to Kutsyuruba et al. (2024), the well-being of principals has received greater attention following the increase in job demands. Hence, with the development and enhancement of the emotional intelligence (EI) skill of self-management, principals may be equipped to be more effective leaders. ...
This paper investigates the importance of the emotional intelligence skill of self-management for secondary school principals. On a daily basis, principals are faced with educational challenges and work demands leading to stress, emotional exhaustion and, in some cases, resignation. To add, principals are under constant pressure to ensure the effectiveness and success of their leadership and management practices. Literature indicates that self-management as an emotional intelligence skill displayed promising and positive results for leadership and management effectiveness of principals, both personally and to the school's benefit. The study used a phenomenological design within a qualitative research approach which included four secondary schools from the Motheo district, Free State, South Africa. A total of four principals and 19 teachers, selected through purposive sampling, took part in the study. The data was collected through individual semi-structured interviews and focus group interviews. The findings revealed that self-management as an emotional intelligence skill may be a deciding factor in the quality of principals' leadership and management practices at school. Furthermore, the data showed that four self-management sub-skills, namely emotional regulation, optimism, adaptability and stress-management, seemed to be beneficial for principals. It is thus recommended that principals consider and allocate time for self-development, workshops or seminars on the value of these particular emotional intelligence skills, either under the umbrella of self-management or emotional intelligence in general.
