"School leaders, as well as aspiring principals and observers of the principalship, will delight in this distinctive, playful, and insightful look at the art and craft of leading a modern-day school."--Roland S. Barth, educator and author of Improving Schools from Within "The Leadership Paradox is a book for principals, principals-to-be, and other practitioners. It provides reality-based cases and concepts worthy of reflection by all who are interested in improving school leadership.''--Linton Deck, director of education and nonprofit applications, Center for Creative Leadership "The Leadership Paradox pushes our understanding of the complexity of the principal's work to new levels. It should be required reading for those who are or aspire to be principals and for those who prepare, train, or supervise them."--Laraine Roberts, director of research and development, California School Leadership Academy Principals are expected to provide vision, inspiration, and support for their schools. Yet they are also responsible for resolving student discipline problems, working with teachers to establish schedules, balancing the school budget, and much more. As leaders and managers, principals must continually blAnd the symbolic and technical aspects of their role, embracing each complexity with confidence, enthusiasm, and skill. In The Leadership Paradox, Terrence Deal and Kent Peterson draw from organizational and management theory to reveal the art and logic of school leadership. Instead of viewing leadership and management as opposing factions, they show how these two ideals can serve as complements in building powerful school culture. They also share real-life stories and examples of school leaders who have learned to adopt a bifocal approach and integrate the contradictions of their work. Practical yet inspiring, this volume presents a wealth of insights for principals, superintAndents, school board members, and other educational leaders.

TERRENCE E. DEAL is Irving R. Melbo professor of education at the Rossier School, University of Southern California. He is author or coauthor of numerous books, including the best-selling Leading with Soul and The New Corporate Culture. KENT D. PETERSON is professor in the Department of Educational Administration at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and founding director of the Vanderbilt Principals' Institute. He is author or coauthor of several books, including Shaping School Culture.