Reimagining Trauma-Informed Leadership: Transformative Futures in Educational Crisis Management

• In Event: Social-Emotional Dimensions of Leadership

Abstract

This paper investigates trauma-informed leadership in educational settings, addressing a gap in the literature regarding generalizable practices across diverse crises. While traditional school leadership often emphasizes logistical and operational responses, recent research highlights the necessity of emotional and relational approaches for fostering resilience and healing (Smith & Riley, 2012; Garcia et al., 2023). Drawing on qualitative interviews with school principals in Aotearoa New Zealand, this study identifies essential dimensions of trauma-informed leadership, including emotional labor and organizational memory. The findings call for leadership development programs to integrate trauma-informed competencies, enabling leaders to respond effectively to crises. This research offers a vision for educational leadership that advocates proactive community-building and emotionally intelligent practices to sustain resilient school communities.

Authors

• Jennifer Charteris, University of New England - Australia

• Adele Nye, University of New England - Australia

• sarah Oluk, Univeristy of New England, Australia