School Principals Enacting the Values of Ubuntu in School Leadership: The Voices of Teachers

Abstract Good leadership is a core ingredient for successful schools. In order to develop and practice sound leadership, can anything be learned from the African philosophy of Ubuntu? The aim of this paper is to explore how the African philosophy of Ubuntu can be harnessed to improve school leadership. The key question that drives this paper is: How can school principals in their day-to-day leadership practice demonstrate the values and principles of Ubuntu in their interactions with teachers? This qualitative study generated data through five focus group interviews with teachers. The findings suggest that serving as role models to staff, drawing teachers into the leadership practice, respecting diversity, being empathetic and sympathetic to the problems experienced by staff and being invitational to staff are some of the ways school principals can demonstrate the values of Ubuntu. School principals therefore need to rethink how they enact their leadership.