A qualitative exploration of principals’ transformational leadership and transactional leadership behaviors during the COVID-19 crisis: the rise of integrated crisis leadership

Purpose: The study seeks to provide insights into the specific leadership
behaviors employed by school leaders to navigate the complex challenges
posed by the pandemic.
Methods: A qualitative research approach was adopted, involving in-depth
interviews with a diverse sample of 20 school principals. Thematic analysis was
employed to identify recurring patterns in their narratives addressing leadership
styles and behaviors.
Findings: The findings vividly portray school principals’ leadership behaviors
during the COVID-19 crisis. This study connected these behaviors with the
characteristics of transformational and transactional leadership styles. Behaviors
identified as transformational leadership emerged as the most prominent during
the crisis. The research found that there is an expression for each of these
characteristics in practice and demonstrated this through quotes from school
principals.
Discussion: Taken together, the findings show that principals viewed integrated
leadership as crucial and effective during the COVID-19 crisis. This research
contributes to the literature by offering a nuanced understanding of how
school principals leveraged both transformational and transactional leadership
behaviors during an unprecedented crisis.