"This second edition is moving, realistic, and candid. New chapters on how to negotiate accountability pressures and the seasons of an educational leader′s life are excellent. Every would-be and present administrator would benefit from reading this book." -Seymour B. Sarason, Professor Emeritus of Psychology, Yale University Identify and prevent potential career derailment! School leaders deal with pressures, pitfalls, and opportunities every day. The authors maintain that creative leaders can keep schools moving in the right direction by reflecting on their natural talents and maximizing the strengths of their staff. This completely updated guide helps you assess your role as an administrator, shows how you might sabotage your prospects for promotion or retention, and provides strategies to remedy the situation. Two new chapters address the political realities of the No Child Left Behind Act and answer these queries: What causes an educational leader to derail? What are potential accountability and high-stakes testing derailment factors? What skills are most important for improving data-driven decision making, student achievement, and test results? This new edition will help you start, or keep, your forward momentum and get you closer to your ideal job.