Addressed is the administrative dilemma of principals' and teachers' sharing decision-making and its effect on strong instructional leadership. The findings were developed as part of an exploratory field study conducted in six public middle schools in a large urban school system. The sample consisted of five black male and one white female principals and 186 teachers (69 percent black and 70 percent female). At the completion of the field study, a questionnaire including the measures for the four research variables was distributed to all classroom teachers generating a 97 percent response. In addition, doctoral candidates observed interactions of principals and teachers in each school. Findings indicate that supervision and distribution of authority are processes that can enhance teacher control. Their correlates, amenability to control and mutual adjustment, are organizatonal characteristics that contribute to a more positive and probably more productive environment. It was evident that administrators resist shared decision-making because of its apparent inconsistency with strong instructional leadership. (30 references) (SI)