The objective of this paper is to examine the rhetoric and practices of educational leadership within Ukraine and Belarus context, and to explore and understand the conditions affecting the work of school leaders across the countries. There is clearly a trend towards liberalistic ideas with a focus on accountability, effectiveness, competition and a new demand for local democracy. This trend seems to produce a certain level of homogeneity, but at the same time there is still a remnant of national and local culture from the old systems, more so in Belarus.
The paper asks questions about the support structures – both political and administrative - in place to assist school leaders. Interviews and to some extent reviews the relevant research literature sheds light on the ways in which school leaders have responded to this new environment. Dilemmas, conflicts and possibilities arising from the new situation, are explored and compared in order to be able to see more clearly the similarities and the differences between the countries.

It should not be surprising that school leaders across the countries have responded differently to changed policy circumstances. Local culture and distinctive aspects of national life will always tend to modify external influences such as those inherent in the philosophy and practice of school leadership. One could argue that the range of tensions and dilemmas facing teachers and their leaders are a direct result of the clash between generic public policy now being seen across the world, and the distinctive approach to life in these two countries. Leaders are, it seems, clearly in the middle of this clash, and must mediate between these two traditions.