When schools fail to improve, it is because educators do not think innovatively. What they do is largely a reflection of what they grew up with or what they were taught. Rather than do new things, they focus on working harder at the things that have produced limited success. That used to be the case at Holloway High School in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, where the author is principal. But in fall 2001, the school began implementing the Baldrige quality principles--which focus on the process of change--and enhanced its efforts with the effective schools and professional learning communities concepts. Two and a half years later, Holloway has been removed from the list of low-performing schools, and it has achieved phenomenal success by focusing on the process rather than programs. In this article, the author describes how he moved his school from low-performing to phenomenal by using Baldrige principles and giving up authority to reap the benefits of an empowered staff and students.