Abstract The study sought to establish the teachers’ perceptions of school heads’ leadership styles concerning teacher job actualisation. Focus was on secondary school teachers in Borrowdale District-Harare. The research concentrated on how teachers perceived heads’ leadership styles and heads’ behaviours and how this impacted on teachers’ employment gratification. The study was guided by the following themes: the diverse management methods used by school leaders, how educators perceived school management’s leadership styles and the impact of leadership styles on work gratification. A basic qualitative technique was used to come up with 4 main themes and eight sub themes. Research sample consisted of 14 educators drawn from three private secondary schools in Borrowdale, Harare Metropolitan Province. A total of 9 teachers were interviewed, individually, and a focus group discussion comprised of 5 other teachers. Research data were analysed using the basic interpretative technique. Interview outcomes revealed that school heads with cooperative leadership methods created affirmative environments at their institutions which enhanced teacher job gratification. Teachers mainly spoke about their school heads’ behaviours and not much about their leadership styles. They also spoke about their expectations of a good leader. Teachers appreciated a powerful leader who could make rational decisions while taking on board teachers’ views. They wanted a school head who was knowledgeable on most aspects of the school while giving the teachers instructional autonomy at the same time. A school head who communicates effectively, and who has trust and respect for the teachers is considered the most ideal instructional leader. Keywords: autonomy, instructional leader, job gratification, leadership styles, teachers’ perceptions,