This paper presents findings of a study that examined how six women headteachers worked as school leaders. Specifically, it looked at how they conducted different management tasks, how they interpreted their behavior and values, and how their childhood experiences influenced their current career behaviors. Data were derived from observation, joint inquiry, structured conversations, and life-history interviews. Results show that the women headteachers did not experience a conflict between their preferred leadership style (collaborative and consultative) and a more managerial style. Nor did they perceive educational administration as masculine. They expressed ambivalence about power; they enjoyed using it to make things happen, but feared its potential for abuse. A conclusion is that an understanding of the behaviors of headteachers must include an analysis of their socialization, family, and educational experiences; role models; and personal/family commitments. The findings demonstrate that women, as a result of their experiences as women once they reached headship, exhibited behaviors (i.e., reaction to stresses) commonly associated with both men and women and not as a result of polarization of work and domestic roles. One figure depicting the analytic framework is included. Contains 43 references. (LMI)