Drawing on the title question of this article, Baruti Kafele prompts leaders to reflect on their work at the helm of their schools. He suggests that to answer this question, school leaders should consider their leadership identity, mission, purpose, and vision. Kafele explores what each of these qualities are and suggests how leaders can go about…

How do school leaders navigate a complex change process? Simply put: They listen. This is the contention that Shane Safir puts forth in this article. She outlines five reasons for becoming a "listening leader": Listening helps leaders tune into and shift the dominant narrative; keep their finger on the pulse of complex change; stay true…

"A cage-buster can't settle for ambiguity, banalities, or imprecision," writes well-known educator and author Rick Hess. "These things provide dark corners where all manners of ineptitude and excuse-making can hide." Hess suggests that leaders need to clearly define the problems they're trying to solve and open…

School leaders currently face so many challenges--some as basic as a lack of money to hire enough teachers--that they know they need to increase their resilience. According to Allison, who coaches school leaders, strong leaders know how important maintaining resilience is. They recognize when their reserves of hope--and those of their…

Discusses why principals should become more kind and compassionate instructional leaders. Examines some of the myths about kind and compassionate leaders. (PKP)

Asserts that principals can increase student learning if they work intentionally and with heart with their faculties. Describes experiences of two Washington State elementary principals. (PKP)

Correlates two research projects and one review to provide a descriptive model for three styles of principal behavior in their role as change facilitator: responder, manager, and initiator. Implications are derived concerning the relationship between change facilitator style and implementation success, school climate, and potential for…

Explains how affective education for students, teachers, and administrators can save schools money on such items as substitute pay, student retention, vandalism, and teacher transfers. (Author/JM)

A school administrator describes her experience in developing her administrative skills at the National Association of Secondary School Principals Assessment Center. (JM)

Respecting, communicating with, and supporting students are the characteristics of effective principals' behaviors that contribute most to a positive school climate, according to the results of a survey of 123 teachers in a university-based principal-preparation program. (PKP)

Identifies common characteristics among high-performing principals in their organizational context. These include a combination of personal vision, information sensing and analytic skills, and interpersonal skills, which collectively generate a schoolwide commitment to a common set of values. (TE)

Administrative women generally possess more expert information than men because they have had more classroom experience. In an age focused on the teaching process, women in leadership will prove a valuable asset. Through networking and struggling to overcome persistent stereotypes (the pink earring syndrome), women will advance in education and…

Describes the results of a study of three programs successfully teaching basic skills. Characteristics of successful schools include careful alignment of curriculum and instruction and grade-level instructional planning. (Author/JM)

A review of recent research on personal characteristics of effective principals and on common leadership prerequisites concludes that effective instructional leadership depends on the interrelation between personal style and organizational context. Essential leadership functions identified by these studies include communicating school purpose,…

A fundamental distinction is drawn between competence and excellence in schooling. Competence refers to meeting predetermined objective standards; excellence is multidimensional, holistic, and readily perceived, though not easily defined. Accordingly, five "forces" of educational leadership are presented as preconditions for educational…