Date of Award

2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Organizational Leadership

First Advisor

Carol Anderson-Woo

Second Advisor

Hawani Negussie

Third Advisor

Barbara Bartels

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore and describe how exemplary public school district early childhood leaders apply four key characteristics of servant leadership (listening, stewardship, building community, and commitment to people’s growth), as defined by Spears (2010), to develop high-performing to support early learning programs.

Methodology: A qualitative, phenomenological approach was selected to explore participants’ experiences and perceptions of how they use four servant leadership characteristics to develop and sustain high-performing teams within early childhood programs on public school elementary and secondary school campuses. Participants were purposefully chosen based on specific criteria and recommendations from an expert panel. Ten exemplary public school district early childhood leaders from San Diego County were interviewed, providing insights into the key strategies they consider most important for applying these four characteristics to build high-performing teams.

Findings: Examination of qualitative data from the 10 public school district early childhood leaders participating in this study revealed five findings related to how they use servant leadership to develop high performing teams. The findings included active and intentional listening, shared leadership, fostering family engagement, community partnerships, and collaborative networks, prioritizing continual professional growth, and being highly adaptable.

Conclusions: Early childhood leaders who practiced active listening, shared leadership, community engagement, continual professional growth, and strategic adaptability strengthened team effectiveness, achieved sustained organizational success and improved outcomes for educators and students. These findings highlight the critical role of intentional leadership strategies in creating a collaborative, resilient, and thriving early learning environment.

Recommendations: The researcher recommends that early childhood organizations build high-performing teams, organizations must provide targeted training, coaching, and leadership development. They must establish statewide leadership initiatives, professional learning grants, mentorship programs, and decision-making frameworks. Expanding professional learning opportunities through networking hubs, leadership toolkits, digital resources, and mentorship programs is essential. Early childhood leaders must also establish shared leadership structures, staff feedback forums, professional development plans, and community engagement strategies to create resilient, adaptable, and collaborative early learning environments.

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