School leadership through COVID-19: A tale of two Auckland secondary school principals

Abstract

This article tells the contrasting stories of two Auckland secondary school principals who faced different challenges in leading their schools through a number of COVID-19-related lockdowns. It explores the extent to which leadership practices have been shaped by school closures. The focus is on community priorities, system changes, strengthening community connections and communication, and distribution of leadership. Connections with existing research and implications for leadership practice are also discussed.