All school leaders are required to earn an educational leadership degree and certificate before they begin their work in a school. The aspect they sometimes don’t teach in these programs has to do with the heart of school leadership, which can be the most important part. Most school administrators begin the work of school leadership from an emotional place, which is similar to why people want to be a teacher. Sometimes you have an unforgettable teacher or principal who you want to emulate, and sometimes you want to do things better, do things differently. It doesn’t matter how you get there; it matters that you begin with the heart, and let it lead most of your work.

Of course, all work cannot be accomplished from an emotional base, but how we navigate our relationships with teachers, students, and parents has to start there. This leadership book is organized into sections that focus on work involving the heart, work involving the head, and work that spans both categories. It’s a love song to school leadership.