Books on school leadership are usually written from a theoretical viewpoint. The insights that emerge, whilst very valuable, are based on an imaginary school, devoid of distinctive human agency, and located in a context-free setting. However, in the real world leadership is not enacted in a vacuum. This study is set in a school where the author served as principal. He describes the impact of various contextual factors, including policy developments at national level since the 1980s, that had an important effect on a principal's role and the nature of provision. In the history of Irish education, a book of this nature has never before been written from the perspective of a principal. The author analyses the various theories on leadership, and describes the practice that he and his colleagues devised and implemented in a real life setting. Finally, he explores the thinking of various scholars in an attempt to identify the core elements that are essential for successful principalship.