Emotional Labor for school leadership

Emotional labor refers to the process of managing one’s emotions to meet the expectations of a role, often requiring individuals to suppress, display, or regulate feelings in ways that align with organizational norms. For principals, this is an essential yet often invisible part of their daily work. They are expected to show patience, care, and composure, even in the face of stress, conflict, or personal challenges.

Research consistently shows that emotional labor has both benefits and costs in education.  Scholars also note that principals often face a unique layer of emotional labor as leaders, they must manage their own emotions while also creating an emotionally supportive climate for teachers. Research emphasizes that a lack of emotional support structures for principals increases stress, while supportive environments and professional development on role conflict, emotional exhaustion, emotional regulation, and resilience  can buffer the negative effects of emotional labor.

Overall, the research underscores that emotional labor is not just an individual burden but a school and district issue that impacts teaching, academic achievement and school culture. Schools, districts and principal preparation programs that acknowledge and address the emotional demands of leadership are better positioned to foster resilience, job satisfaction, retention, and sustainable well-being among their school leaders.