Despite the growing promotion of distributed leadership in educational systems, little is known about the personal resources that principals draw upon to enact it – especially in contexts marked by structural constraints, rigid hierarchies, or sociocultural expectations. This study addresses that gap by examining how Ecuadorian school principals understand and mobilize personal leadership resources, and how these shape their ability to foster the conditions for distributed practices.

Drawing on 13 semi-structured interviews with principals from both public and non-public schools in Quito and Cuenca, the analysis followed an abductive coding approach to connect real-world experiences with theoretical frameworks, particularly Leithwood’s model of Personal Leadership Resources and literature on distributed leadership. Findings reveal that social resources – such as empathy, active listening, and relational communication – play a central role in how leadership is practiced and perceived.

These resources are especially relevant in settings where principals face institutional limitations in staff selection and decision-making. In other cases, such as the non-public ones, principals may resort to more vertical or coercive approaches when social strategies fail. Across diverse contexts, social resources often activate other personal resources – such as psychological resilience, cognitive flexibility, or ethical reasoning – demonstrating a dynamic, interconnected configuration of leadership dispositions.

Importantly, the study highlights how gender representations shape leadership practices. While some principals reproduce essentialist views – associating emotionality with femininity and rationality with masculinity – others challenge these assumptions, constructing more inclusive and participatory leadership identities. These tensions emerge not only in individual narratives but also in how leaders understand teamwork, authority, and school culture.

Overall, the study suggests that personal leadership resources offer a valuable lens for exploring how leadership identity is developed in interaction with others, and within specific institutional and cultural contexts. It also reinforces the need for leadership development programs – particularly in Latin America – to be grounded in contextual realities and to integrate a gender-sensitive perspective, supporting more equitable, responsive, and sustainable leadership practices.

Keywords: Personal Ledeadership Resources, Distributed Leadership, Education Leadership Studies.