This gold mine of wisdom from top education researcher and the bestselling author of Turning Around Failing Schools and Connecting Teacher Leadership and School Improvement contains key tips and strategies every school leader should know. Award-winning professor and former school administrator Joseph Murphy’s concise and instructive lessons will help you stay focused on what matters most as you navigate the hectic world of high-stakes testing and accountability: • It really is all about the kids • Optimism is essential • Caring counts a lot • Listen—let people finish talking • Don’t confuse excuses and explanations Each lesson is coupled with context in a few sentences taken from Murphy’s extensive real-world experiences. This collection is ideal for use in daily reflections, speeches, staff meetings, presentations, or as a gift to anyone who works with children.