Beginning with an illustrative exercise in audience participation, this keynote address contends that effective staff development requires shared commitment, a shared language for describing and analyzing the problems of teaching and learning, and awareness that big ideas are realized through small tactics. These general precepts are clarified through a series of basic principles of staff development, illustrated by concrete examples. First is the notion that schools should be organized in a way that permits professional development to compete with other obligations. The second principle is that successful professional development requires reciprocity and respect, or trust, among colleagues. Finally, the central challenge of leadership involves shaping meaning, value, and belief by establishing a visible order of priorities. (TE)