Educational leaders are immersed in and arguably responsible for the construction of the delicate yet complex world of education. As such, Van der Mescht (2004) poignantly observes, “to develop a clearer picture of what it is that some leaders possess (or do, or are) that makes their leadership effective has perhaps never been more urgent” (p. 3). This research is a response to Van der Mescht’s observation. The purpose of this study is to engage prospective educational leaders in a deep interrogation of their personal, philosophical and pedagogical beliefs around leadership and its application in contexts representative of Canadian diversity and the complexity of the learning environments using collaborative inquiry (Bray, Lee, Smith & Yorks, 2000) as a methodology. The study is based on leadership as a practice where educational leaders enable, empower and support the diverse and complex learning community and where the application of leader extends beyond title and position to qualities and actions understood through collaborative reflection and dialogue. / Graduate / 0515 / 0514 / 0727 / lisa.starr2@mcgill.ca