This study sought to describe how an elementary school faculty made sense of the impending succession of its principal, and to extend Gephart's effort to develop a grounded theory of leader succession by examining an unforced succession in an organization whose members exerted little if any influence on the selection process. On the basis of interview and observational data, four prevailing norms were identified: a strong sense of order, the instructional isolation of teachers, the lack of personal contact and support for teachers, and the importance of expectations. Findings confirmed Gephart's thesis that the faculty degraded the status of its departing principal, but this status degradation was based on an interaction of professional and organizational norms rather than solely on organizational norms. The conclusion suggests that Gephart's theory of succession would have to be adjusted to accommodate the influence of sources of norms external to the organization. References are included. (Author/TE)