ABSTRACT
This chapter draws from available literature on contextual leadership practices of successful school principals in Malaysia and elsewhere, and from a theoretical and conceptual understanding of the sensemaking of leaders. It examines the cognitive process of sensemaking behind the contextual practices of successful school principals. The chapter deals with a brief description of the educational leadership structure in Malaysia, followed by exploring the core concepts and characteristics of sensemaking and the interplay between sensemaking and context before considering the literature on educational leadership practices in Malaysia. It is apparent that the action of leaders is a direct response to the prescriptive model that they form as a result of the sensemaking of the context. Sensemaking literature is still evolving, which explains the lack of homogeneity and the presence of disagreements. There is a need to improve upon the principal training courses and methods by including consideration of sensemaking, including its characteristics, core concepts, and mock drills.
