Understanding Leadership Enactment in Early Childhood Education and Care

The notion of leadership has been investigated and written about for over a century yet definitions continue to be contentious. A wide range of theories have emerged to capture the intent and nature of leadership activity and these have been supplemented by numerous populist publications attempting to make leadership accessible to the public. This book explores how people working in the field of early childhood education and care (ECEC) in Australia, understand leadership and see it enacted in their day to day work. Participants articulate notions of team work or non positional leadership that they view are congruent with the non hierarchical and nurturing environment of ECEC. However what emerges is a culture defined by aspects of niceness juxtaposed with elements of horizontal violence. This analysis highlights the need for working with early childhood students and practitioners to explore the cultural aspects that can impact their interpreted professional identity. This publication should be useful for anyone working to understand the complexities of leadership and contemplating the many factors that continue to make leadership so challenging.