Although there is no formulaic way for the educational leader to exercise all of the three
principles – each leader will respond in a unique fashion - one possibility will be offered. The
principal, focusing first on the primacy of relationships, begins his/her tenure at a school by
cultivating relationships, engaging all stakeholders in a dialogue about the function of the school
- remembering that the first principle is “authenticity.” The focus of this dialogue will be on
unearthing the “mental models” of which Senge (2000) speaks. As the principal authentically
engages members of the community in dialogue, s/he is modeling behavior for the others in the
community, creating values that will begin to affect the climate and culture of the school. These
first values will be: relationships matter, listening matters and everyone has a voice.