Leading from a feminist soul /

Primarily addressing those in educational leadership roles (such as principals and school superintendents), this short, encouraging, how-to book focuses on connecting the principles and practices of social-justice feminism to one's life and work. There is a clear description of the principles themselves, emphasizing mutuality, humility, and caring for people as connected learners whether they are students or staff, and engaging vignettes and accounts of daily life that illustrate how the contributing authors understand the action implications of these principles in day-to-day interactions. The contrast between leading in such empowering and mutually supportive ways and managerial and hierarchical administrative styles is emphasized throughout. Rather than reduce these differences to the often-essentialized "women's way" versus "malestream" binaries from which this approach grew, the authors present feminist leadership as a deliberate choice of moral orientation open to anyone, drawing on diverse religious and ethical traditions to define an inclusive feminism. This work may inspire anyone in a position with responsibilities for teaching and learning (ranging from clergy to tech managers) looking to connect such ethics to daily work life. Summing Up: Recommended. General readers and professionals. --Myra Marx Ferree, University of Wisconsin-Madison