Examining principals’ practices for identifying and nurturing middle leadership

This study investigates how principals, as instructional leaders, support the identification and development of middle leaders in schools. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 experienced principals from diverse school settings. The study used purposive sampling and employed a qualitative research design, utilising thematic analysis to identify key patterns and themes. Four significant ways of working that foster middle leadership development emerged: identifying emergent talent, targeted leadership development, engaging part-time employees, and developing autonomy and trust. The study also revealed that principals exhibit servant and system leadership practices in addition to instructional and distributed leadership approaches. The findings highlight the importance of talent identification, flexible leadership arrangements, and personalised development approaches. For policymakers, the study underscores the need for system-wide support for middle leadership professional development and the recognition of the broader impact of leadership development beyond individual schools. This research contributes to understanding the principal’s practices in nurturing middle leadership capacity and addresses challenges in middle leadership professional development within the context of instructional leadership.