The Left- Handed Leader: Educational Experiences and Leadership Practices

The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of left-handed school leaders during their elementary and secondary school years. Further, this study examined the impact of these experiences on leadership practices exhibited by left-handed school leaders. The researcher used a mixed methods approach to conduct this study. For the quantitative portion of the study, left-handed and right-handed school leaders completed Kouzes and Posner’s Leadership Practice Inventory (LPI) Self, Fourth Edition. To obtain qualitative data, left-handed school leaders also participated in an open-ended question interview where information was collected on their educational experiences in elementary school and secondary school as well as their leadership practices. Left-handed school leaders were also asked to identify any leadership practices they possessed which they attributed to being left-handed. The three research questions addressed: left-handed school leaders primary and secondary school experiences, the dominant leadership practices of left-handed school leaders, and the relationship between the educational experiences and leadership practices of left-handed school leaders. Findings suggest that the most dominant leadership practices of left-handed school leaders, based on the self-assessment survey, align with preexisting research on left-handers and left-handed leaders. Additionally, correlations can be made between the educational experiences and current leadership practices of left-handed school leaders.