LEADING FROM WITHIN: INTRAPERSONAL SELF-LEADERSHIP PRACTICES AMONG SCHOOL LEADERS IN ZIMBABWEAN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Sumayah  EBRAHIM; Peter Babajide  OLOBA; Emmanuel Tendai PFUPA

Sumayah EBRAHIM University of Johannesburg, South Africa
Peter Babajide OLOBA University of Johannesburg, South Africa
Emmanuel Tendai PFUPA University of Johannesburg, South Africa

Keywords: accountability, integrity, reflective practice, school management, self-awareness, self-leadership, self-motivation

Abstract

This study explored intrapersonal self-leadership practices in school management within public high schools in Bindura District, Zimbabwe, against the backdrop of persistent educational challenges such as limited resources, declining staff morale, ineffective leadership preparation, and increasing organisational pressures. Guided by Manz’s self-leadership theory and Bass’s transformational leadership theory, the study sought to examine how principals and heads of departments (HODs) regulate themselves through practices of self-discipline, ethical accountability, reflection, and intrinsic motivation to enhance school management. An interpretivist qualitative case study design was adopted, involving semi-structured interviews with twelve participants comprising four principals and eight HODs selected purposively from four public high schools. Data were analysed thematically using Braun and Clarke’s six-step framework. The findings revealed that intrapersonal self-leadership was enacted through integrity and accountability, planning and time management, self-awareness and self-reflection, and self-motivation. These practices enabled school leaders to sustain professionalism, regulate behaviour, manage institutional demands, and maintain organisational stability despite challenging working conditions. However, the findings also revealed tensions associated with emotional labour, excessive accountability, and leadership fatigue within resource-constrained contexts. The study contributes to scholarship by extending self-leadership theory within educational leadership contexts in the Global South and by conceptualising self-leadership as a contextually shaped process of ethical self-regulation and reflective discipline. The study recommends institutionalising self-leadership development programmes, strengthening reflective leadership cultures, enhancing organisational support, and integrating self-leadership competencies into leadership policy frameworks. The study concludes that self-leadership is a foundational requirement for sustainable and effective school management in contemporary educational contexts.

Author Biographies

Sumayah EBRAHIM, University of Johannesburg, South Africa

Dr Sumayah Ebrahim holds a Doctorate in Education (Leadership and Management) from the University of Johannesburg. She has taught and supported undergraduate and postgraduate students in education resource management, contemporary management, research methodology, and academic writing. Her research focuses on self-directed learning in online learning environments, self-leadership, teacher leadership, student agency, and educational leadership. Dr. Ebrahim has supervised postgraduate research and contributed to the development of research and academic literacy skills among emerging scholars. Her work has been published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at international academic conferences.

Peter Babajide OLOBA, University of Johannesburg, South Africa

Dr. Peter Babajide Oloba holds a Ph.D. in Education from the University of Johannesburg, South Africa. He is a lecturer and campus coordinator in the Department of Languages, Cultural Studies, and Applied Linguistics at the University of Johannesburg. With extensive experience in higher education, he has lectured undergraduate and postgraduate students across multiple disciplines, including communication skills, business literacy, teaching studies, research methodology and design, school guidance and support, learning theories, inclusive pedagogy, and education management. His research interests include educational leadership, teacher well-being, digital pedagogy, curriculum development, and applied linguistics. Dr. Oloba has published in accredited journals and presented at international conferences, contributing to scholarly discourse on inclusive education, leadership in disadvantaged schools, inmate rehabilitation, sustainability, systemic change, and the integration of Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies in education and the postal sector. He actively supervises honours, master's, and Ph.D. research projects, demonstrating his commitment to academic mentorship.

Emmanuel Tendai PFUPA, University of Johannesburg, South Africa

Emmanuel Pfupa holds a Master of Education (MEd) in Educational Leadership from the University of Johannesburg. He has extensive professional experience working in private schools across Africa. As an emerging researcher, his academic interests focus on educational leadership, with particular emphasis on self-leadership among school leaders in public schools. His research explores how self-leadership practices influence leadership effectiveness and contribute to the improvement of educational institutions

LEADING FROM WITHIN: INTRAPERSONAL SELF-LEADERSHIP PRACTICES AMONG SCHOOL LEADERS IN ZIMBABWEAN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Abstract

Author Biographies

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