Much has been written about the disconnect between education research produced in graduate schools of education and the practice of school leaders. In this article, the authors share one story of an external partnership that promotes the development of a principal's capacity for complex problem solving and the early research that suggests this partnership is working. They discuss the Cahn Fellows Program for Outstanding New York City Principals, a fellowship program for principals in New York City which unites the interests of philanthropists, academics, and urban school leaders.