A primer of what is truly important for today's school leaders at all levels, this how-to book is made up of twenty-five fundamental insights and baseline beliefs that never change. Staying focused on what really matters, each page reminds administrators of the simple, guiding truths and timeless values that made them want to become educators in the first place. Each section acts as a compass that showcases: (1) Commonsense, cornerstone principles; (2) Life lessons from school leaders; (3) Real-world examples from successful administrators; and (4) Practical tips on how to concentrate on what counts, and apply what's most important on the job everyday. This book contains hard-earned wisdom and forgotten truths that are freshly viewed and packaged in modern-day terms. Call it a pep talk or a refresher course, it reawakens, rekindles, renews, and refocuses on the perspective, passion, and priorities of school leaders, reviving their sense of purpose and enhancing their image in the educational field. Following a Preface: Why This Book? Why Now? and an Introduction: Some Things Never Change, this book contains the following twenty-five chapters: (1) What You Do Is Special; (2) Primero Los Ninos: Children First; (3) There Are No Throwaway Kids; (4) Strong Schools Make a Strong Nation; (5) Schools Are Sacred Places of Hope; (6) Teaching is the Greatest Profession; (7) Passion is the Engine That Drives School Leadership; (8) What Matters Most Costs the Least; (9) Schools Are Only as Strong as the Community Allows; (10) When It's Your Own Kid, It's Different; (11) That Pesky Golden Rule Still Works; (12) Someone Has to Be the Grown-Up; (13) Good Leaders Learn to "K.I.S.S." and Enjoy the Happiness of Subtraction; (14) You Can't Have Too Much Integrity; (15) Commonsense is Better Than a College Degree: The Grandma Test; (16) Sometimes Kids Need Candy More Than Milk; (17) A Chicken Doesn't Stop Scratching Just Because Worms Are Scarce; (18) The Reverse Side Has a Reverse Side; (19) The Best Leader Is a "Servant Leader;" (20) Your Mother Didn't Raise You to Be a Bureaucrat; (21) Politicians and Armchair Quarterbacks Don't Get It--So You Have To; (22) If You're Not Having Fun, You're Doing It Wrong; (23) Things Are Never as Bad as You Think They Are; and You're Braver, Stronger and Smarter Than You Imagine; (24) You Work to Live, Not Live to Work; and (25) It's Worth It! This book concludes with A Final Word: The Ouija Board Effect, three resources and an index.