ABSTRACT
Middle leading is a relational dialogic practice. Trust has been widely acknowledged and promoted as essential for effective leadership, but there is little understanding beyond ‘taken-for-granted’ beliefs about what it involves and how it can be promoted and sustained. In this chapter we will outline five dimensions of trust that are relevant for educational leadership: (1) interpersonal trust; (2) interactional trust; (3) intersubjective trust; (4) intellectual trust; and (5) pragmatic trust. Furthermore, using practical examples we will show how each of these trust dimensions can be developed dialogically by middle leaders in their educational contexts, and how their leading practices can create conditions for trust to be sustained. This is seen as essential for the creation of teams that work collegially on curriculum and professional development in their particular site.
