Examination of the Effectiveness of Male and Female Educational Leaders

The purpose of this inquiry was to examine the effectiveness of male and female educationalleaders who made use of the invitational leadership style of leadership in their k-12 schoolsettings. Study participants consisted of 14 principals (7 female and 7 male) and 164 teachers.While quantitative findings revealed a statistically significant difference between the usages ofinvitational leadership qualities in effective schools versus less effective schools, there were nodifferences based on gender. Follow-up interviews with teachers and principals established thatteachers believed that the invitational qualities of respect and trust were the most influentialleadership qualities, while principals viewed trust as the predominant influencing factor.