Beyond hierarchies: Cross-level educational leadership in rural communities during protracted crisis

Educational leadership research has traditionally examined top-down, middle-out and bottom-up leadership as distinct approaches within education systems. Less attention has been paid to the forms of leadership that emerge as educational actors respond to prolonged crises, particularly in rural and peripheral communities. Drawing on a place-based perspective, this study explores how educational actors navigate prolonged uncertainty and disruption, and the forms of leadership that emerge in sustaining educational continuity and community well-being. Using a qualitative research design, the study draws on 72 interviews with heads of local authorities, directors of education, school principals, teachers, lead youth educators working in non-formal education settings (hereafter, lead educators), and community activists in rural communities in northern Israel during the Iron Swords War. The findings suggest that, despite occupying distinct formal roles within the educational ecosystem, participants demonstrated remarkably similar leadership practices. Leadership during a protracted crisis was not confined to formal positions or hierarchical structures. Rather, it emerged through relationships among municipal leaders, education officials, educators and community actors, who frequently moved beyond their formal responsibilities to broker partnerships, mobilise resources, devise adaptive solutions, and respond to evolving local needs. The study contributes to the educational leadership literature by demonstrating how leadership is enacted beyond formal hierarchies during prolonged uncertainty. It advances a place-based understanding of leadership as a collective and relational process that sustains educational continuity, strengthens community resilience, and supports community well-being in rural communities experiencing prolonged disruption.