Introduction

This book outlines a new theorization of leadership for the field of early childhood education. Proposing a ‘new’ theorization perhaps implies there are ‘old’ theorizations of leadership for the sector, but it would be more accurate to say that we are responding to persistent calls for theorization per se of this important aspect of early childhood education practice. There has been continuous (albeit modest) research into leadership in early childhood education internationally for several decades, but attempts to theorize the nature of leadership that results in positive outcomes for children, families, and colleagues remain limited.