Abstract
This study examined self-leadership as a catalyst for effective school management in Zimbabwe, focusing on principals and Heads of Department (HODs) in the Bindura District. Despite the centrality of leadership, public schools continue to face systemic challenges, such as resource shortages, low morale and declining performance. Framed by Manz’s Self-Leadership Model and Bass’s Transformational Leadership Theory, the study investigated how self-leadership principles are understood, enacted and constrained in practice. An interpretivist qualitative case study design was adopted, involving semi-structured interviews with four principals and eight HODs from four purposively selected schools. Data were analysed thematically. Findings revealed that leaders prioritised self-leadership principles, including integrity, accountability, communication, empathy, time management, self-awareness, goal-setting, agility, motivation and role modelling. These principles manifested through teamwork, delegation, decision-making, resource innovation and self-regulation, but were limited by resistance to change, inadequate resources, gender bias and bureaucratic constraints.The study concluded that self-leadership strengthens resilience, adaptability and innovation, but requires enabling structures to maximise impact. It contributes to scholarship by contextualising self-leadership within Zimbabwean schools, highlighting its interplay with transformational leadership, and identifying barriers unique to low-resource contexts.