Emotionally Agile Leadership Amid COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically changed the job requirements of school leaders and has negatively impacted the academic outcomes for students (Kuhfeld et al., 2020). As a result of the ongoing demands and stress caused by this pandemic, school leaders are at an increased risk for physical and mental health problems (Boyatzis & McKee, 2005; Brackett et al., 2018; Murphy, 2011; Sorenson, 2007) and, as a result, are less likely to continue in their profession long-term (Brackett et al., 2018; Farrace, 2020). In an effort to subvert the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as future crises, this paper posits the need for educational leadership preparation programs that focus on interventions that address the emotional intelligence, emotional agility, and crisis-induced stressors of current and emerging school educators. This paper reviews interventions to mitigate and manage work-related stressors through the integration of social-emotional constructs, mindfulness, mindfulness-based programs, and self-regulatory practices to decrease work-related stressors, prevent professional burnout, increase school educator retention, and prepare school leaders for effective crisis management. Recommendations are provided for future leadership preparation programs