ABSTRACT
All principals face the challenge of balancing rules and guidelines with those times when they need to make exceptions. This is especially true when it comes to behavior expectations for students. All principals establish internal ground rules that reflect their core belief systems, even though it seems that other influences tread on them at least some of the time. This chapter presents one internal standard that supports effective leadership: When making decisions, ask, “Who is most comfortable and who is least comfortable in this situation?” If a principal argues with a belligerent parent, who feels uncomfortable? Not the parent. Effective principals continually ask themselves who is most comfortable and who is least comfortable with each decision they make. When principals face a challenging decision, they will feel less alone if they ask themselves, “What will my best teachers think?”.
