Toward a Consent-Based, Embodied Model of Educational Leadership
ABSTRACT: Contemporary leadership frameworks often fail to account for systemic replication. While transactional leadership emphasizes efficiency and structure, and servant leadership emphasizes care and service, both models operate within systems that can unintentionally undermine autonomy. In contrast, transformational leadership offers a pathway toward intrinsic motivation and identity development (Stein, 2025). However, even transformational leadership must be reframed through a consent-based, embodied lens to address the complexities of educational environments fully. This paper argues that a consent-based, embodied approach to transformational leadership provides a more sustainable and ethical framework for addressing burnout, disengagement, and systemic power imbalances in education.