Addressing Challenges in Practicing Authentic Leadership: Insights from Principals of High-Performing Secondary Schools in Guangdong, China

Year 2026, Volume: 11 Issue: 1 , 198 - 235 , 30.03.2026

Jiewen Xie , Jamilah binti Ahmad , Xiaoyang Lu

https://doi.org/10.30828/real.1765243

https://izlik.org/JA35WD72XP

Abstract

This study examines how authentic leadership is practiced by principals of high-performing secondary schools in Guangdong Province, China. Drawing on four-dimensional authentic leadership theory—self-awareness, relational transparency, balanced processing, and internalized moral perspective—this study investigates the difficulties and culturally responsive strategies school leaders adopt as they confront these challenges. A qualitative multiple case study was conducted; data were gathered through semi-structured interviews, observation and document analysis in four schools. The findings illustrate that authentic leadership in China is rooted in structural constraints and Confucian culture. Principals reported that hierarchical roadblocks, lack of teacher voice, clashing stakeholder expectations, and the conflict between moral principles and administrative constraints hindered their efforts. However, they negotiated these limitations using approaches such as reflective discussion, open decision making, inclusive feedback, and positive ethical modelling. The study suggests that authentic leadership in non-Western contexts is not an absolute trait but a socially situated process that is contingent on one's cultural understanding and ethical skill. These results extend authentic leadership theory to developing greater understanding for an Asian context and have practical implications for leadership development in Confucian-heritage educational settings.

Keywords

authentic leadership , school principals , Chinese education , cultural context , leadership strategy , teacher engagement

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