Worry at the top: Understanding and managing worry in elementary school leadership

Worry is a common feature of leadership roles, yet it has received limited attention in research on school principals. This study explores how elementary school principals understand and manage worry in their professional lives. Using a grounded theory approach, in-depth interviews were conducted with 19 Israeli principals. The findings present a conceptual model that frames worry as a multifaceted emotional experience and distinguishes between two central types: worry as responsibility and worry as achievement. Worry as responsibility reflects principals’ concerns for student safety, emotional well-being, and the overall functioning of the school. Worry as achievement captures pressure to meet expectations and the fear of professional failure. The study also identifies three coping strategies through which principals manage worry: active problem-solving, seeking support and building trust, and creating personal moments of calm. The study contributes theoretically by introducing an appraisal-based framework that distinguishes between moral appraisal, which refers to internal responsibility, and a performance-based appraisal, tied to external expectations and accountability pressures. It positions worry as a meaningful cognitive and emotional process rather than merely a form of stress and highlights its role in shaping principals’ interpretation of professional demands.