Dialogue as socially just communication

Today's school leaders seemingly face an ever-increasing array of competing demands and challenges. They are expected to be innovative, transformational and expert while, at the same time, sharing many of the leadership processes, acting in ways that are ethical and socially just, and being highly consultative (Senge, 1994; Stoll, Fink, and Earl, 2003; West-Burnham and Coates, 2006). Together, these expectations place the building of effective interpersonal relationships at the heart of leadership and, thereby, raise the primacy of pervasive communication as an essential aspect of leadership. Thus, this article focuses on dialogue as a form of communication befitting the requirements of contemporary school leadership. It argues that dialogue contributes to a form of communal professionalism in which there is a reduction in barriers between school principals, other leaders, teaching staff, parents in schools, and students. It is in this respect, it is argued, that dialogue is able to automatically promote school leadership practices that effectively address equality and social justice concerns.