Quest for Success: Ladder of School Leadership of Women in India

School leadership in traditional and developing societies offers several challenges, especially for women. This article argues that women succeed in this area because of those very leadership values which they have drawn from their lives and are not limited to school leadership alone. They also make the most of this inherent advantage. For the purposes of this research a narrative form of inquiry has been adopted to study twenty women who head schools. Seven broad themes have emerged from the qualitative data analysis as well as from the path these women have traversed as school heads. This path consists of five stages—aspire, acquire, achieve, ascend and transcend. The research reveals that most leaders are independent, self-confident and fearless, yet cautious. They have built a foundation of trust powered by their agency. Familial support has also played an important role in shaping them as leaders. In fact, a few have moved beyond positional leadership roles, transcending the normative framework.