The significance of Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) on children's development globally is widely acknowledged by policymakers. Leadership competence within ECEC has emerged as a pivotal factor impacting pedagogical quality and employee well-being, as indicated by an increasing number of studies (Cummings, Wong, and Logan 2021; Douglass 2019; Ruohola et al. 2022; Sirvio et al. 2023). However, achieving desired outcomes necessitates high-quality circumstances (Cortázar 2015; OECD 2022). With global issues such as systematic education gaps and expanding center sizes posing challenges to the professional development of ECEC leaders and the sustainability of effective leadership (Fonsén & Soukainen 2022; Gibbs 2021). Our research focuses on ECEC, the initial stage of the Finnish educational system (FNAE, 2022). In Finland, contextual changes in ECEC policies have sparked controversial expectations and conflicting goals regarding the fundamental mission and core of leadership for ECEC center leaders (Kupila, Fonsén, and Liinamaa 2023). Shifting ECEC oversight from the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health to the Ministry of Education and Culture in 2013 bolstered ECEC's position within the Finnish educational system. Subsequent reforms in the ECEC curriculum (FNAE 2016) emphasized leadership's responsibility for curricular content, further reinforced by the new ECEC Act (540/2018), mandating leaders to hold a master’s degree in education and possess adequate leader competence after the 2030 transition period. Consequently, ECEC center leaders in Finland face multifaceted competence requirements, driving the need for systematic qualifications (Siippainen et al. 2021). This contextual backdrop forms the basis of a study examining how ECEC center leaders position themselves within the evolving professional landscape and the future trajectory of their profession. Leadership within the ECEC domain is considered a multifaceted process within multi-professional working communities, intertwining educational theory, practical application, and interpersonal leadership development (Damiani, Haywood, and Wieczorek 2017; Sullivan 2005). It reflects a departure from traditional authoritarian leadership to a collaborative, egalitarian model aimed at fostering trust, autonomy, and communal learning within the working community (Hard & Jónsdóttir 2013; Lund 2021). This contemporary understanding requires leaders to balance formal authority with creating a supportive environment that encourages professional growth without undermining their position (Gibbs 2021; Hard and Jónsdóttir 2013). To understand ECEC center leaders' perceptions of their profession, the study employs Positioning Theory. This theory explores the dynamic and contextual nature of how individuals assume roles and statuses within their work environment (Bamberg, 1997). Bamberg (1997) sees positioning as a three-level process: the first level considers characters positioning in relation to one another within events, enabling observation of the foundation of leadership and examination of how ECEC center leaders position themselves within leadership roles. The second level examines a character’s position in relation to others included in the narrative, providing insight into how ECEC center leaders are situated within multi-professional working communities. The third level explores how characters position themselves in relation to themselves, shedding light on how ECEC center leaders perceive themselves as leaders and their responsibilities from a professional perspective. By examining leaders' positioning regarding their roles, relationships within the community, and self-perception as leaders, the study aims to illuminate the evolving landscape of ECEC leadership.

Research data, ECEC center leader essays (N=20), were collected in 2022 as pre-assignments of an 18-month in-service training at the University of Helsinki (UH). In Finnish written essays, leaders were instructed to use their own words to answer two statements concerning ECEC center leadership as a profession. We accomplished two step analysis process where we combined the structural method of Labov and Waletzky (1967) with Bamberg’s (1997) narrative positioning framework defined above to identify and compare core narratives wherein narrators recount and evaluate their experiences of ECEC center leadership. We began with content analysis in which we identified essays were written in three temporal sequences: past persona, present teacher, and future leader (Krippendorf, 2018). We then applied Labov and Waletzky's structural analysis to all individual essays within these temporal groups to identify its five categories: Abstract (A), Orientation (O), Complicating action (CO), Result (R), and Coda (C), which focuses on evaluation and considerations for the future (Labov and Waletzky, 1967). Inside the five formed categories we continued again with content analysis to compare their differences and similarities (Krippendorff, 2018). Based on this we identified four different type narratives to which we made positioning questions based on Bamberg's positioning levels: How leader position is acquired and managed? How leaders position to other people? How leaders positions to themselves as leaders? After reflecting the narratives with these positioning questions, we were able to determine the final positioning relative to leadership as a profession: professional leader, contextual leader, teacher leader and leader persona.

The findings of our study revealed diverse perspectives, highlighting similarities and differences among the narratives. There's a significant emphasis on cultural context shaping ECEC leadership, with some narratives defining it as a distinct profession tied to education and context. Professional and contextual leaders see leadership as a praxis, focusing on operational culture, vision, and the development of leadership structures. They position themselves as facilitators aligning with the needs of working communities. Meanwhile, teacher leader and leader persona narratives view leadership primarily as an administrative task, disconnected from the multi-professional community, focusing more on their role in implementing pedagogical practices. The study identifies contrasting views on how leaders perceive their work and how they envision their future as leaders. Teacher leaders and leader personas struggle with the present challenges, lacking a clear vision for the future, while professional and contextual leaders are motivated to invest in education and structural development for manageable work. The research stresses the need for clarification and coherence in understanding ECEC leadership as a profession. It highlights challenges, including hierarchical role-based leadership, intensification, and the need for clear professional roles between ECEC leaders and teachers. The study advocates for systematic ECEC leadership education, starting from teacher education and continuing throughout a leader's career, emphasizing the importance of continuous training to support quality leadership. Overall, the study underscores the critical role of ECEC leadership in ensuring quality and the well-being of children, emphasizing the urgency to address barriers hindering its development and success. Although this study is conducted in Finnish context it is internationally beneficial and can be shaped in international contexts. ECEC systems do have similarities across borders and development of leadership as a profession needs cross sectional, scientific discussion to implement both national and global actions.

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