<p>The paper presents findings from interviews conducted with leaders in schools and municipalities in Norway, capturing their descriptions of and reflections about how they intentionally lead for student voice and participation. Research in this field has gained considerable momentum in recent years; however, there is a need for more knowledge about how educational leaders engage with and sustain voice and participation practices. Findings show that, despite differing contexts, the six leaders described strikingly similar orientations to leading for voice and participation, indicating that specific leadership approaches can be illuminated. Daring to lead emerged as a unifying theme, encompassing a readiness of leaders to critically examine their own practices and prevailing norms, to advocate openly for student voice as a core organisational value, and to boldly design new structures that make participation an ordinary feature of school life. This paper argues that such practices are necessary to actively promote and meaningfully advance student voice and participation.</p>