In this thesis I outline my living theory (Whitehead 1989) of leadership development for e-learning as an explanation of educational influence in improving training practice. This proceeds from a four-year action research self-study of my professional development as a civil servant in the context of my participation in the Professional Doctorate in Education (Leadership) programme at Dublin City University. The study involved a systematic enquiry into the development of my knowledge and practice as I addressed myself to the question: ‘how do I integrate my studies in the field of educational leadership research with my work as a civil servant in order to improve it?’ In this manner the study bridges the theory-practice gap, exploring the nature of professional development through reflection on the actions undertaken to interrogate theoretical and conceptual ideas from study within training practice and vice versa, and on how new knowledge was produced through this dynamic interplay. The study also develops conceptual understanding about the nature of elearning as an educational leadership issue in the context of three action research cycles in which I tried to support training colleagues to explore the educational potential of information and communications technologies for the development of their practice. This represents a lacuna in the research literature, which has largely treated e-learning in instrumental terms, as an issue of technical innovation or top-down strategy. My claim to knowledge is that I can explain the nature of my professional development and my educational influence in my own learning. The originality of this contribution lies in how I re-conceptualise leadership development for e-learning as an epistemology of professional development in which ontological values are transformed into living standards of accountability. Potential significance lies in its contribution to the development of a knowledge base of practice for training and development.