This essay reviews the powerful influence of professional identity in shaping how school leaders perceive their work. I review factors that mold teacher professional identity, implications for educational leadership pedagogy, and supports and barriers for teacher leaders to consider in their quest to more fully enact bold, socially responsible…

To enter a future that waits to be born, educational leaders must continually assess their own ethical stance as well as that of the organizations they serve. Three frames form a model for examining the ethics of both individual and organization, with internal monologue and engaged conversation as the means for reflection and action.