This article advances and illustrates the concept of "leaderhood" and argues for its role in the rediscovery and renewal of the inclusive, future-oriented spirit of the enterprise of education. Leaderhood, with its links to such concepts as "citizenhood", "elderhood", and "parenthood", is intended to convey a deep sense both of relatedness and of open-ended, future-focused concern. While leadership concerns an occupation or activity, leaderhood is more a state of being, recognizable not only in formal leadership situations but in every part of life, emerging not from policy and regulation but from a sense of fellowship and an awareness of our responsibilities to others and our community. Highlighting the importance of leaderhood in rediscovering the spirit of the educational enterprise and resisting managerialism and "strongman" leadership, we illustrate four principles governance of leaderhood should embody: clarity of function (particularly where governance ends and leading begins); a commitment to openness, transparency, truth, and accountability in aims and decision-making; democratic dialogue among a wide range of stakeholders based on inclusion and co-production; and an inter-sectoral, whole-system perspective, comprehending the entire meta-system, rather than being tied to one or another part of it. The article contrasts "leadership," which holds on to the past and stifles difference, with "leaderhood," which is attentive to the common good and engages fully with its responsibility to the future. Embedding leaderhood in collective action, we argue, is a key lesson for governance in developing a social contract for education that is open, fair, inclusive, and democratic.