Date of Award

Summer 8-5-2022

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Organizational Leadership

First Advisor

Dr. Jonathan Greenberg

Second Advisor

Dr. George Giokaris

Third Advisor

Dr. Lisa Simon

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe how exemplary high school principals in Riverside and San Bernardino counties lead from the heart using Mark Crowley’s four principles (building a highly engaged team, connecting on a personal level, maximizing employee potential, and valuing and honoring achievements) to accomplish extraordinary results in their organizations. Methodology: Semistructured interviews were conducted with 8 high school principals to better understand how the use of heart-led principles can lead to extraordinary results on a high school campus. Interview data were collected, transcribed, and coded for themes, allowing the researcher to triangulate data and draw conclusions with the data. Nine key findings were identified, describing how the use of heart-led principles lead to success on the high school campuses. Findings: This qualitative phenomenological study utilized principals’ lived experiences to identify how Crowley’s (2011) heart-led principles help high school principals achieve extraordinary results on their campuses. Each interview was transcribed and coded for emerging themes. The data generalized by the researcher revealed 12 themes identified as they related to each heart-led principle and research question. Nine key findings were identified, describing how the use of heart-led principles lead to success on the high school campuses. vii Conclusions: The major findings of this study help to describe how exemplary high school principals use heart-led principles to lead their staff toward extraordinary results. Each of Crowley’s (2011) 4 heart-led principles prioritize an investment in an organization’s human capital to produce results. Although the findings of the study present equal importance of all 4 heart-led principles, 2 notable conclusions were found. The first conclusion from this study is that principals should invest time to build trusting, meaningful relationships. The second conclusion derived from this study is that principals should get to know the various needs of their campuses to better serve their organizations and lead them to success. Recommendations: Recommendations for further research involve replicating the study to include continuation and other types of alternative secondary schools. Additionally, a mixed methods approach to the study where quantifiable data related to employee perception of exemplary principalship could yield more thorough and alternative viewpoints on the data.

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