Successful secondary principalship in Cyprus

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide an insight into successful secondary school principals in Cyprus, focusing on identifying their actions and behaviours through the adoption of a systemic view of the quality of leadership in school organizations from multiple stakeholders (i.e. self, parents, students and teachers).Design/methodology/approachThis article is the sequel to another paper on successful principalship which was written about successful primary school principals in Cyprus. A multi‐case study methodology was followed where data were gathered from a wide range of school stakeholders such as the principal, teachers, students and parents employing a common, semi‐structured interview protocol developed specifically for the International Successful School Principalship Project (ISSPP) which was translated into Greek and adopted to Cyprus’ educational context.FindingsThis paper argues that the principals exhibit behaviors and actions such as developing relationships, being committed, being visionary and promoting a collaborative learning environment which, in combination with their passion, devotion and commitment, lead to successful principalship.Originality/valueThe paper offers insights into the implications for principals’ training by informing policies for recruitment and retention leading to the designing of more effective leadership training programs.