Abstract
Purpose. The purpose of this study was to investigate the stage of ego development of superintendents identified as transformational leaders, their experience of flow, and what effect their leadership has on the district culture. Methodology. An expert panel recommended the four superintendents within the state of California for the case studies. The superintendents responded to two research instruments: (a) a 36-item Sentence Completion Test, and (b) an interview on their experience of flow utilizing semistructured interview questions to elicit a memorable story and probe for their experience of flow based on the core and secondary characteristics of flow. Findings. Examination of quantitative and qualitative data from the four case studies indicated that there is a relationship between a superintendent's stage of ego development and his/her expressed state of flow. Secondly, the stage of a superintendent's level of development will dictate the level of changes within the district. Additionally, the district's collective values can influence the superintendent's level of development. Examinations of the same data from the four case studies reflected the superintendents have strong interpersonal skills, and, finally, the superintendents across the case studies implemented structures and policies consistent with first-order changes. Conclusion. The study data support a need for training programs to develop current and aspiring superintendents who can operate from the postconventional stages of development. Recommendations. It is recommended that the study be replicated with different variables not accounted for in this study: gender, age, superintendent as leader. Also, it is recommended that the study be used to examine the hiring practices and the attributes of postconventional stages of development as the basis for new tools or interview methodology to hiring leaders.