This is a study on the impact of culture on the leadership of Mexican principals facing political and socioeconomic pressures. The research is a continuation of an international study engaging researchers from 8 countries: Thailand, China, UK, Norway, Singapore, Norway, Brazil, U.S., and Mexico. The twelve high school principals who participated in this preliminary study are all from the Southeast of Mexico. Hofstede's theoretical framework was used to examine the relationship of the principals with authorities and with groups, the concepts of masculinity and femininity, and the ways of dealing with uncertainty and conflict. The framework provided some insights of the interplay between culture and leadership, but it was limited for explaining the complexities of principals' roles. Ethnic diversity and the socioeconomic and political context appeared to have more influence in the behavior of the principals than their perceptions of their roles.