The purpose of this study was to examine the role of a superintendent and his district instructional staff in managing change in a New York City school district. An individual case study was used to examine leadership and instructional improvement in a context with administrative and teaching staff limitations and an unprecedented influx of newly arrived immigrant students. We found a pattern of beliefs, instructional approaches and strategies consistent with district systemic change efforts; however, the superintendent emerged at the centre of all interviews and observations. Transformational and charismatic leadership were used to examine the phenomena.