• Subscribe

    Sign up here for our monthly newsletter.

  • Menu

    FOCUS ON WELLNESS

    Meaning and purpose are key to principals’ well-being

    By Julia Mahfouz
    Categories: Leadership, Social & emotional learning
    October 2023
    Burnout rates among principals are high, largely due to the immense pressure principals face in striving to achieve demanding academic standards for students, while simultaneously adapting to constant changes and effectively collaborating with a diverse range of stakeholders during strenuous times. Lately, self-care and attending to one’s well-being have become a topic of frequent conversation in and outside of schools. Principals are often reminded to prioritize their own well-being by managing their time and setting boundaries, using self-care strategies and stress reduction techniques, maintaining a work-life balance, and attending to their own mental, social, and emotional health. While these practices are undoubtedly important, the focus on individual well-being can lead to a sense of detachment from the very people principals are serving and away from

    Read the remaining content with membership access. Join or log in below to continue.

    Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem.

    Log In
       

    References

    Benoliel, P. & Somech, A. (2010). Who benefits from participative management? Journal of Educational Administration, 48(3), 285-308.

    Brief, A.P. & Motowidlo, S.J. (1986). Prosocial organizational behaviors. Academy of Management Review, 11(4), 710-725.

    Grant, A.M. (2007). Relational job design and the motivation to make a prosocial difference. Academy of Management Review, 32(2), 393-417.

    Grant, A.M. (2008). Does intrinsic motivation fuel the prosocial fire? Motivational synergy in predicting persistence, performance, and productivity. Journal of Applied Psychology, 93(1), 48-58.

    Grant, A.M. & Sonnentag, S. (2010). Doing good buffers against feeling bad: Prosocial impact compensates for negative task and self-evaluations. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 111(1), 13-22.

    Hallinger, P. & Heck, R.H. (2010). Leadership for learning: Does collaborative leadership make a difference in school improvement? Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 38(6), 654-678.

    Jäppinen, A., Leclerc, M., & Tubin, D. (2015). Collaborativeness as the core of professional learning communities beyond culture and context: Evidence from Canada, Finland, and Israel. School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 27(3), 315-332.

    Massachusetts School Administrators’ Association. (n.d.). The soul of leadership: Courage, presence, and integrity. msaa.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/SoL-Flyer-Cohort-6-2023-24.webversion.pdf

    Murithi, T. (2006). Practical peacemaking wisdom from Africa: Reflections on Ubuntu. The Journal of Pan African Studies, 1(4), 25-34.

    Nussbaum, B. (2003). Ubuntu: Reflections of a South African on our common humanity. Reflections, 4(4), 21-26.

    Organ, D.W., Podsakoff, P.M., & MacKenzie, S.B. (2006). Organizational citizenship behavior: Its nature, antecedents, and consequences. SAGE Publications.

    Palmer, P.J. (2017). The courage to teach: Exploring the inner landscape of a teacher’s life. John Wiley & Sons.

    Taylor T., Martin, B., Hutchinson, S., & Jinks, M. (2007). Examination of leadership practices of principals identified as servant leaders. International Journal of Leadership in Education, 10(4), 401-419.


    Julia mahfouz
    + posts

    Julia Mahfouz (julia.mahfouz@ucdenver.edu) is associate professor in the School of Education & Human Development and director of the Prosocial Leader Lab at the University of Colorado Denver.


    Categories: Leadership, Social & emotional learning

    Search
    The Learning Professional


    Published Date

    CURRENT ISSUE



  • Subscribe

  • Recent Issues

    LEARNING TO PIVOT
    August 2024

    Sometimes new information and situations call for major change. This issue...

    GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES
    June 2024

    What does professional learning look like around the world? This issue...

    WHERE TECHNOLOGY CAN TAKE US
    April 2024

    Technology is both a topic and a tool for professional learning. This...

    EVALUATING PROFESSIONAL LEARNING
    February 2024

    How do you know your professional learning is working? This issue digs...

    Skip to content