According to Cantor and Bernay (1992), “Risk taking is a critical factor of successful leadership” (p. 158). Surprisingly, however, the literature about the superintendency does not report that superintendents are risk takers. In fact, school administrators, at large, have never been portrayed as risk takers (Konnert & Gardner, 1987).
In contrast, I found the theme of risk taking in the narratives of twelve women in a national study that I did between 1993–1997. The purpose of this article is to examine the practice of women superintendents in order to get a glimpse of what it takes for superintendents to be or to become risk takers. The study revealed that the women had life circumstances and personal characteristics that helped them to relax and take risks. There were two primary circumstances: (1) community, and (2) challenge; and two primary personal characteristics: (1) courage, and (2) curiosity. If risk taking is an important part of practice in the superintendency, then we would be well served to use the knowledge gained from examinations, like this study of women superintendents’ practices, that clearly identify what it takes to be a risk taker in the role.
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