The role of leadership styles in shaping school climate: A qualitative analysis of principals' interpretations

<jats:p>&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Context and relevance&lt;/strong&gt;. Positive school climate is central to learning and the overall well-being of students. It encourages a meaningful interaction among all stakeholders of the school. The school principal plays a key role in this regard. &lt;strong&gt;Objective. &lt;/strong&gt;To identify the leadership styles of principals and specifically explore which style is more responsive to a positive school climate across Pakistani schools. &lt;strong&gt;M&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;strong&gt;ethods and materials.&lt;/strong&gt; It was an exploratory qualitative study. The principals of 20 schools were selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, followed by analysis using hybrid thematic analysis. The codes were categorized under various leadership theories, including transformational, transactional, and laissez-faire leadership styles. The frequency of the codes was also calculated to quantify the qualitative data. &lt;strong&gt;Results.&lt;/strong&gt; The results showed that transformational leadership was the most commonly used style among principals, accounting for about 78% of the total codes. These leaders appeared to be more responsive to promoting a positive school climate in areas such as school management, decision-making, teachers&amp;rsquo; professional development, and student counseling and support. Meanwhile, transactional and laissez-faire styles had minimal impact on the school climate, constituting 18% and 2%, respectively. &lt;strong&gt;Conclusion.&lt;/strong&gt; It is concluded that the leadership styles of the principals influence the creation and maintenance of a positive school climate. This study has implications for school principals and policymakers, highlighting the importance of encouraging transformational leadership to effectively manage schools.&lt;/p&gt;</jats:p>