Putting Followers First

In this article, we apply the theory of servant leadership to qualitative data of 18 urban, K-12 public school principals noted as instructional leaders. We found that servant leadership, enacted through a concern for teachers’ learning growth, and well-being, guided the thoughts and actions of 83% of the participants. Grounded in Spears’ (2002) conceptual framework for servant leadership, we share participants’ cases exemplifying servant leadership by highlighting their perspectives and actions toward their followers (i.e., teachers/staff). In light of teacher turnover and dissatisfaction, we argue that servant leadership holds promise for the practice of leadership within the context of today's schools.