Transformational Leadership in Action: Principals’ Experiences of Turning Around Underperforming Schools in Rural South Africa

Rural South African schools face systemic underperformance due to infrastructural deficits, resource scarcity, and socio-economic adversity. This qualitative study investigates principals’ application of transformational leadership to turn around underperforming schools. A phenomenological design captured the lived experiences of five purposively selected principals from historically disadvantaged Quintile 1 secondary schools in Limpopo and North-West provinces. In-depth semi-structured interviews explored leadership challenges and strategies, with data analyzed through thematic analysis. The participants reported profound challenges: 1) Emotional exhaustion from relentless pressure; 2) Departmental abandonment with minimal oversight; 3) Hostility from staff/communities, including threats to safety; 4) Dysfunctional school cultures marked by financial mismanagement. Despite these challenges, they enacted transformational leadership through i) idealized influence (modeling transparency, adherence to rules, and personal accountability); ii) inspirational motivation (building morale via communal activities like shared meals); iii) intellectual stimulation (implementing peer-teaching programs among students); and iv) individualized consideration (mentoring struggling teachers through peer support networks). The participating principals in this small, context-specific sample demonstrated ways in which transformational leadership principles can support school improvement amidst extreme constraints. The findings underscore the critical need for contextual leadership development programs and robust departmental support systems to sustain turnaround initiatives. The study contributes practical strategies for educational equity in resource-scarce environments.