ABSTRACT
In this chapter we show how leadership training and development is framed by the different historical and socio-cultural contexts. We first trace the images of school leadership by analyzing both their historical distinctions and the emerging forces for consensus caused by the spread of political expectations and the impact of transnationalism. Against this background, we explain how, in recent years, the role of schools, the position of school leaders 1 and the approach to leadership training have changed radically across countries. We discuss approaches to leadership development in relation to the particular context and in relation to what seems to have become more dominant discourses of leadership development at policy level. Preferences in perspectives on leadership development are by and large closely connected to countries’ approaches to educational governance and accountability, of which we provide an overview. We conclude by showing how political control and professional content may influence future approaches to leadership development in Europe.
