A narrative inquiry into the leadership practice in a South African school through a servant-leadership lens

Abstract

Apart from international narrative studies on school principals the use of a narrative has only been applied in a limited manner to studies focusing on school principals in South Africa. The purpose of this article was therefore to explore the way in which the principal in the study exhibited the aspects of the servant- leadership model through a narrative analysis. The narrative of a South African principal was interpreted in the light of the six characteristics of Laub’s servant-leadership organisational model. The following categories emerged from the data analysis: Valuing people: “I have been extra blessed with a great love for people”; Developing people: Focus on the ‘strong points’ and not the ‘weak points’; Building community: Start trusting and using people… it’s a general principle”; Displaying authenticity: “Compassion … it’s a very small thing, perhaps even insignificant”; Providing leadership: “We are missing something about the child”; and Sharing leadership: “The secret of any business … is ownership.” This study shows the intricate relationship between the contextual factors in a particular school and the execution of school leadership, in particular servant-leadership.