Leadership ambiguity in universities and K-12 schools and the limits of contemporary leadership theory

This paper explores the differences in context, assumptions, and behavior of leaders both in modem American universities and in elementary and high schools. The paper's main section examines the utility of five leadership theories (situational, charismatic, transformational, path-goal, and leader-member exchange [LMX]) in explaining leader behavior in each educational sector. We show that while each theory has some merit, none adequately incorporates the larger internal and external "system" pressures on leaders whose institutions are undergoing changes. The paper concludes with a recommendation for a reformulation or the leadership dilemmas in education that sets the five theories in a broader, systemic conceptual framework. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.