Once teachers become more confident in engaging consistently and regularly with other staff around shared goals for students and schools, they can begin to engage with the families and communities they serve (Shields & Hesbol, 2019). This process by which teachers and administrators work together to include these individuals is called collective leadership (Eckert, 2019). The community is a team unified around the goal of student success.

Empowerment, trust, and self-efficacy help teachers feel valued and connected to their school and the profession, which has powerful implications for long-term retention37. They also establish teachers as equal partners who can mutually benefit from their colleagues’ knowledge and skills38. Giving teachers a voice and ownership in the direction of the school demonstrates commitment on the part of leadership40. This not only engages teachers but also emphasizes that the work is more important than the individual.

When all the conditions described above are thriving, leadership can respond to change in ways that encourage growth. Capacity building can work as professional development as well as team building when it is integrated into the school day to ensure that both teachers’ and leaders’ time is valued and honored. Cultivating instructional leaders takes time, dedication, and flexible structures.