School leadership ranks among the most influential factors in student learning. Yet, principals contend with complex challenges every day, including teacher shortages, student well-being and safety concerns, resource constraints, and much more. It's no surprise they are reporting unprecedented levels of job-related stress. To position principals to overcome these obstacles and reach their full potential as leaders, we must adopt a fresh perspective on how they are prepared, supported, and developed. The paper examines how five districts and states are empowering principals to focus on the leadership work only they can do--cultivate positive school climates and deliver rigorous academic experiences for every student.