The field of educational leadership has struggled with a basic paradox. On the one hand, functionalist assumptions influenced by scientific management tend to see the student as the product of schooling while counter views from the learning, cognitive and psychological sciences have framed the student as an active and deliberate agent in shaping and influencing their own learning. This paper seeks to identify and describe this paradox. Using theory building and problem identification methods our analysis revealed a number of incongruences that may have implications for the field. We build an argument that reframing the field's narrative around the science of learning may help us move educational leadership in a more student and learning supportive direction.