Conclusion
The “keeping” of the school rests with the institution’s leadership. The principal as
moral role model must work to create a climate, culture and community that exemplifies the very
values that s/he espouses. Through the use of the three principles of moral leadership –
authenticity, balance and systemic thinking – the educational leader can successfully create that
community. As s/he acts, so s/he instructs, guides, and leads. True leaders understand that their
“actions speak louder than words,” and that they must “practice what they preach” for inevitably
they “shall reap what they sow.” Although all of these adages are cliché they serve as a map for
the educational leader because of the powerful evidence of experience. Educational leaders will
testify that the climate, culture, and community are a direct reflection of the leader’s leadership.
The relationships the leader creates, the structures that s/he supports, and the decisions that s/he
makes will impact the entire school. Therefore, the leader must consciously and intentionally
take the actions that s/he believes are in the best interests of the students (authenticity/integrity),
while modeling the importance of caring and just relationships (balance) and understanding that
his/her decisions have consequences across the entire system (systems thinking). Doing this will
afford the leader the opportunity to cooperate with all the stakeholders in the community,
assuring that the school will reflect the communities intended goals - to assist young people in
fully realizing their potential, with the understanding that they are connected to others thorough a
web of interrelationships of which they may not even be conscious, but one that exists none the
less. To do this should be the goal of every educational leader, especially those who understand
that they are role models for ethical and moral action