The performance skills of school principals have an enormous impact on the learning of students in their schools. Two questions principals must ask themselves are as follows: what is meant by a positive impact on student learning and how should this impact be achieved? This book helps principals resolve these questions within a framework of philosophical and cultural beliefs that begins with a clear understanding of their own values. Chapter 1 establishes that the principal's value system should guide every decision made in the school. Chapter 2 investigates the benefit of paradoxical thinking in solving problems and provides direction on how paradoxical logic can be incorporated into decision-making. Chapter 3 furnishes practical advice for ascertaining the consistency among values, beliefs, actions, and democratic principles in the operation of the school. Chapter 4 presents tools for dealing with conflicting values and for determining the best actions to take to resolve philosophical issues among constituents. Chapter 5 provides practical strategies for creating the maximum "goodness of fit" among thoughts, words, and actions. Additionally, the book contains exercises, lists of questions to consider and actions to follow, illustrative figures and tables, and 55 references. (WFA)