In a borderless, increasingly competitive world, some suggest that the role of leaders is ‘first break all the rules’ (Buckingham & Coffman, 2005). By contrast, others place greater store in apprenticeship, of passing through the ‘crucible’(Bennis & Thomas, 2002), the real life version of ‘big brother’ for future leaders, to emerge suitably ‘fired’ for a leadership position having ‘proven’ oneself along the way. While some may ask in nostalgic tones, ‘where have all the leaders gone?’ (Iacocca, 2008), due to academic competitiveness, others respond by seeking out a new niche in the panoply of leadership ‘adjectivalism’ (Gronn, 2009) creating a kind of ‘boutique’ approach to leadership (Sugrue, 2009). In such circumstances, leadership lurks everywhere and everything is construed as evidence for some kind of new or emergent ‘brand’. Consequently, some conclude, leadership has become hopelessly ‘baggy pants’, thus meaningless, while others caution that it’s time to take stock (Sugrue, 2009). In doing so, the key question is not focused on the disappearance of leaders but rather: ‘what is leadership?, what does it entail and how best can it be fostered? More specifically, how have these questions been addressed by paper presentations within Network 26 over the past ten years--- what are the more enduring continuities and what appear to have more ephemeral, walk on parts in the ‘drama of leadership’? (R. J. Starratt, 1993). The purpose of such a systematic and critical review is to ‘refocus school leadership’ (Robert J. Starratt, 2011)

The theoretical anchorings or lens of the paper will largely take for granted dominant discourses in leadership literature as articulated by others (Harris, 2008; K. Leithwood, B. Mascall, & T. Strauss, 2009; K. Leithwood, B. Mascall, & T.  Strauss, 2009; MacBeath, 2009; Spillane & Diamond, 2007). These framings will create a wide-angle lens through which paper abstracts in the first instance will be re-viewed in an ‘abductive’ (Alvessor & Skolberg, 2000) manner thus providing an initial location within the leadership ‘field’, while simultaneously making an initial assessment of whether or not the paper creates new horizons within the field or confirms and illuminates existing conceptual considerations.  A significant consideration throughout this analytical process will be the extent to which the preoccupations of the papers are more focused on managerial imperatives rather than leadership responsibilities while readily recognising the symbiosis between both.

This background and theoretical backdrop provides the lens to address the following questions:

• What have been the dominant and recurring foci of papers presented in network 26 during the past 10 years?
• What have been the dominant methodological tools and data sets represented?
• In what senses and in what ways can the work presented be deemed to advance the field of leadership literature?
• How many presentations were subsequently published (and where)?
• What is the institutional ‘geography’ of presenters and their career stages?

These are the initial questions that will be addressed while consistent with an emergent design, other questions may be added as part of the analytical process based on the evidence.

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