Introduction This paper is aimed at discussing the article School leadership in the twenty-first century written by Tony Townsend (2011). In particular, it is necessary to summarize the main issues examined by the author. Additionally, one should critique the validity of the ideas expressed by the scholar. This discussion can be useful since it can identify the strategies that can benefit school administrators and teachers. Overall, this source can be useful because it throws light on the principles that can help school leaders improve the performance of educational organizations. Moreover, this source is beneficial since it highlights the experiences of school leaders in various countries. These are the main aspects that should be analyzed in this paper. Summary In this article, Tony Townsend (2011) provides a discussion of the new trends in school leadership. In particular, the author focuses on the approaches that have been adopted in various countries such as the United States, Australia or the United Kingdom. He relies on the articles written by other researchers. One of the trends that the author identified is that many schools have become more market-oriented. This tendency can be observed in many Danish schools (Townsend, 2011, p. 95). These organizations are supposed to compete for resources or talented students. To a great extent, they can be compared to service organizations that struggle to strengthen their position in the market. Their competition of these organizations with one another can be regarded as the stimulus that contributes to the improvement of education that they can provide to learners (Townsend, 2011, p. 95). This is one of the trends that attract the attention of the author. Secondly, the scholar points out that many school leaders have become more accountable for the performance (Townsend, 2011). This is why they should pay attention to the collection of data which can be used to evaluate the progress that schools make. According to Tony Townsend, much attention is paid to the development of accountability systems which can be used to evaluate the efficiency of policies implemented in educational organizations (2011, p. 97). These systems are critical for the effective functioning of schools and other educational organizations. This is one of the issues that the scholar identifies. Apart from that, the author notes that the successful performance of schools is possible provided that local initiatives are properly implemented (Townsend, 2011, p. 100). It should be noted that local school administrators are more aware of the challengers that educational organizations have to encounter. In contrast, governmental officials may not be familiar with the specific problems that schools need resolve. This is why many of their decisions can be questioned. Furthermore, it is necessary to empower teachers who have an in-depth understanding of how students can best acquire knowledge and skills. This is one of the key points that can be made. Tony Townsend notes that this trend can be observed in various countries. This tendency can be described as decentralization of the educational system as well as school leadership. It contributed to the improvement of many educational practices. Additionally, the author focuses on leadership training. He points out that there are different approaches to this task. As a rule, school leaders are required to undergo mandatory training (Townsend, 2011, p. 98). Sometimes, they