ENGAGED LEADERSHIP: AN INTERNATIONAL QUALITATIVE STUDY LINKING EFFECTIVE SCHOOL LEADERSHIP WITH FLOW THEORY RESEARCH

This is qualitative exploratory study of effective administrator experiences examined through the lens of positive psychology's flow theory. Participants included administrators in three different governmental contexts (The U.S., China, and Zimbabwe), identified to be effective administrators. The findings revealed the elements of flow were present in administrator experiences that yielded successful outcomes: Challenge Skill Balance 11/12 (93%), Goal Clarity, Feedback Clarity and Autotelic Experiences were the clearest indicators with 12/12 (100%) affirmative responses. Following were: Concentration - 10/12 (83%), Control and Time transformation - both with 9/12 (75%), Loss of Self Consciousness - 8/12 (68%), and Action-Awareness - 6/12 (50%). Understanding effective leadership across contexts is useful.