The Journey of a Novice Principal: Her Struggle to Maintain Subjective Wellbeing and Be Spiritual School Leader

Abstract

This paper contributes knowledge to the field of well-being studies, specifically as an example of how religious beliefs contribute to the maintenance of subjective wellbeing.  The research study utilised a hermeneutical phenomenology study where the overarching question was: What was the lived experience of one novice female principal struggling to maintain her subjective wellbeing whilst simultaneously being a spiritual leader in her school? The Hermeneutical Circle was used as a basis to guide the investigation. The key finding of the study wasthat self-reflective meaning making and positive thinking, built capacity for leadership. In this instance, it is the interplay of educational, spiritual and mental health knowledges that strengthened leadership capacity to plan for, and to meet the complex challenges posed within the workplace.