Purpose-driven leadership - The spiritual imperative to guiding schools beyond high-stakes testing and minimum proficiency

The educational leadership discourse is being challenged to include a spiritual voice in its conversation. Spirituality is defined as the part of life through which individuals make meaning and understanding of the world. It includes the esoteric exercise of personal critical reflection and forms the basis for values and principles that inform individual personal and professional behavior. This article examines purposive leadership. a concept grounded in what Cornel West called prophetic spirituality. It suggests educational leaders who build their professional practice in purpose-driven leadership clearly understand the multidimensional aspects of their daily challenges and yet find the inner strength to resist hegemonic structures and forms of oppression and systemic inequities in the educational system. These leaders' perceptions are not limited to proficiencies and minimum competencies but are clearly focused on ontological pursuits, academic and intellectual engagements. and projects fostering students' sense of destiny, purpose. and commitment to societal change.