Educational Leadership as a Transversal Competence in the Performance of School Principals Aided by the Pedagogical-Collaborative Direction Method

Educational leadership has increasingly been recognized as a decisive factor in school effectiveness and institutional innovation. Current debates emphasize its transversal nature, linking it to competencies such as political communication, decision-making, and problem-solving. Nevertheless, despite the growing body of literature, there remains a need for epistemological analyses that clarify its foundations and propose integrative methods for its development in school principals. This article presents an epistemological analysis of educational leadership as a transversal competence of school principals and its relevance to institutional performance. Bibliographical sources were collected between January 2021 and March 2026 from indexed journals and prestigious academic publications. 120 articles were identified, of which 85 were reviewed in detail, and 42 were included in the analysis. Inclusion criteria comprised peer-reviewed articles, thematic relevance, and methodological rigor; exclusion criteria encompassed duplicates and sources lacking validity. The study was conducted through thematic analysis supported by content matrices, carried out by three researchers who applied triangulation procedures to ensure reliability. Findings reveal that the pedagogical-collaborative-directive method constitutes an integral strategy to consolidate educational leadership as a transversal competence by promoting pedagogical accompaniment, activation of collaborative attitudes, and group interaction. These results align with recent studies highlighting the importance of structured training for principals, interdisciplinary collaboration, and intercultural adaptability. Educational leadership requires principals to act as facilitators and guides, mobilizing cooperation and unity, strengthening organizational culture, and integrating theory and practice in interactive spaces. Practical implications include applications for school principals, legislators, curriculum designers, and researchers. Limitations lie in the bibliographical scope and absence of longitudinal empirical studies. Future research should include international comparative studies and empirical validation of the method in diverse contexts.