ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses early childhood leadership, professional identity and professionalism in ways that grow a cohesive professional identity, describes aspects to sustain early childhood leadership through succession planning, mentoring, coaching and performance management and reflects on career progression for educators and leaders through the development of area specific teaching and leadership standards. The chapter promotes new paradigms of early childhood leadership that avoid the ongoing education and care divide in children’s services and introduces models of early childhood leadership that support leaders in strengthening children’s learning and pursuing partnerships with families and communities. Early childhood leaders and their colleagues will require professional and individual support during their career trajectory, and there should be a firm understanding that leadership is everybody’s responsibility, as it is inherent in belonging to the profession, and being and becoming a professional.
