Building Leadership Capacity in Schools

In this book, Linda Lambert takes a close look at leadership in schools, which today involves far more than a single leader. The author defines leadership as the learning processes among participants in a community–processes that lead toward a shared sense of purpose. Leadership capacity refers to the breadth of participation in leadership and the depth of skill that teachers, administrators, parents, students, and community members bring to the work. The stories of three schools–an elementary school with low leadership capacity, a middle school with moderate leadership capacity, and a high school with high leadership capacity–reveal how school people can lead their communities to improve student learning. The stories show five features of effective leadership: (1) broad-based, skillful participation in the work of leadership, (2) inquiry-based use of information to inform decisions and practice, (3) roles and responsibilities that reflect broad involvement and collaboration, (4) reflective practice/innovation as a norm, and (5) high student achievement. This book outlines what schools and districts must do to build leadership capacity, including how to get started, how to sustain the momentum, and how to design school districts capable of supporting such work.