Love-Based Leadership at School as a Way to Well-Being in Pupils—Theoretical and Practical Considerations

Teachers’ authority relies partly on the mastery of substance but that is not enough if the purpose is to enhance students’ overall growth, self-knowledge and well-being. In today’s schools, a variety of new phenomena (e.g., multiculturalism, exclusion, etc.) challenges teachers’ work. In this article, we will discuss the concept of love-based leadership in the light of teachers’ work and as a combination of love and authority. The fundamental aim is to provide education activities that increase students’ sense of meaning and fulfillment, in other words, happiness. The success of the Finnish education is greatly dependent on teachers, and, therefore, the purpose is to contemplate how students could be provided with experiences of success by employing love-based leadership at school.  

Teachers’ authority relies partly on the mastery of substance but that is not enough if the purpose is to enhance students’ overall growth, self-knowledge and well-being. In today’s schools, a variety of new phenomena (e.g., multiculturalism, exclusion, etc.) challenges teachers’ work. In this article, we will discuss the concept of love-based leadership in the light of teachers’ work and as a combination of love and authority. The fundamental aim is to provide education activities that increase students’ sense of meaning and fulfillment, in other words, happiness. The success of the Finnish education is greatly dependent on teachers, and, therefore, the purpose is to contemplate how students could be provided with experiences of success by employing love-based leadership at school.