“You Cannot Give What You Have Not Received”: Professional Development of Middle Leaders in a Marginalized Society

This case study examines how training using the Empowering Approach affects middle leaders in an Arab school in Israel, conducted as part of a broad community initiative to strengthen education amid social marginalization. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 middle leaders; data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings revealed a sequential perceived developmental process: participants first experienced the Empowering Approach as recipients, which facilitated a deeper conceptual understanding of the approach and led to perceived meaningful changes in professional identity. The findings clarify that professional development in marginalized communities should be grounded in an empowering emotional approach.