ABSTRACT
The concept of heroism is embedded in the theorization of leadership. In this chapter, qualitative interviews with 11 school leaders from one Australian school add rich empirical data to the literature around heroic school leadership, highlighting leadership that is deliberately subtle or behind the scenes. Introducing holonomy as a lens through which to view heroism and leadership, this chapter reveals the internal dialogues in which leaders place themselves on a continuum from visible autonomous hero who receives all the recognition to unsung invisible hero working as interdependent participant within an organization. The chapter proposes the visible-invisible leader as nuanced for leadership within the context of schools.
