Recognizing the importance of leadership in effective school administration, this document begins by discussing leadership as defined by Etzioni (1975), including ideas such as personal influence; positional power; the difference between instrumental and expressive leadership; and organizational type as defined by the dominant means of control in the organization. Next, the school work setting is explored and five types of interrelated role-demands or "situational imperatives" that characterize the school administrator's work setting are described: (1) managerial; (2) instructional; (3) political; (4) social; and (5) moral. The nature of school leadership is explained, with emphasis on conditions in which teachers would voluntarily change their preferences. Four personal qualities of school leaders are explored along with the nature and effectiveness of personal influence in leadership. A final section explains the need for more descriptive studies of the school as an organizational work context, for the study of actual activities of administrators, and for context-sensitive research. Several questions for future study are posed. (62 references) (CLA)