The dearth of attention to leadership in early care and education (ECE) undermines the field's capacity to deliver the high quality care that makes a difference for children and families most in need. Almost no opportunities or systems exist to develop and support ECE leadership for improvement and innovation. Unlike in many other professions, experienced early educators lack opportunities to grow throughout their careers and develop the skills and supports they need to lead in their classrooms, organizations, communities, and beyond. A rich body of research on relational forms of leadership offers a theoretical framework for this qualitative case study of early educators' leadership development as they seek to co-create pathways forward as leaders for change. The study results offer a new conceptual mapping of a leadership development ecosystem for supporting educators' capacity to lead change. The paper concludes with lessons learned and recommendations for strengthening the leadership infrastructure to support ECE quality and professionalization, and to support early educators as change agents advancing the field.