Abstract

This study examines the transition of a novice school principal in an upland, resource-limited region of Bago City, Philippines, where leadership challenges are influenced by geographical isolation and scarce resources. It seeks to comprehend how an inexperienced leader transitions from classroom instruction to school administration while handling augmented responsibilities and accountability. Employing a qualitative single instrumental case study design, data were gathered via semi-structured interviews, observations, and document review, subsequently analyzed through inductive thematic analysis. The findings identified four principal themes: motivation derived from experience and education, inclusive and deliberative decision-making, the cultivation of relational and adaptive leadership skills, and personal growth grounded in servant leadership. The change meant taking on more responsibilities and changing how people saw themselves as professionals, which required emotional strength and the ability to think in systems. The study shows that good leadership in marginalized situations is based on relationships, takes the context into account, and is based on moral behavior. These results show that new school heads need leadership development programs that are tailored to their needs and targeted support from their schools. This will help make educational leadership in underserved communities more inclusive and effective.