This study originated from the call in the leadership literature for a new paradigm that is moral and ethical. The desire seems to be for a leadership framework that is critically oriented and grounded in the metaphysical. There is a quest for a new language, approach, and movement. In short, there is a call for a framework rooted in spirituality. This inquiry sought to understand the role of spirituality in educational leadership.

The methodology was qualitative, and data were collected through interviews of principals and analyzed through the constant comparative method. A framework of critical spirituality was developed in this grounded theory approach. Three primary elements of spirituality were identified: justice, compassion, and critique. These were the constructs that informed the interview questions and analysis.

The findings suggest that the pragmatic work of these principals was grounded in spirituality. That is, the concerns of fairness, caring, and equity were rooted in the elements of critical spirituality. The study demonstrated that the leadership framework of critical spirituality has heuristic value for leadership, realizes the practical concerns of leadership and spirituality, provides a common and public religious and spiritual language for leaders, and recognizes critique as the crux in leadership and spirituality.