Three Key Habits of Great Principals

As we celebrate National Principals Month, we appreciate all principals who work tirelessly to make a difference in their schools. Throughout the month, we are excited to highlight a handful of school leaders to learn from, as we see great work happening across the nation. Today, we reflect on three key strategies that are helping principals make a big impact.

By Theresa Hamilton, NIET South Central Regional Director

During my time as a school principal for multiple campuses in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, certain moments with teachers and students stayed with me. Specifically, one day every month, eager faces filled my conference room, gearing up to speak on ways to improve the school, visions for success, and changes to be made. These particular meetings stand out in my memory. The speakers’ feet swung excitedly above the floor, chins rested on the massive table, and thoughts were likely interrupted by the fleeting reverie of an afternoon snack. It was a chance to talk with students about some of the things we were doing in our school, why we were doing them, and what the benefits would be for them. It’s important to provide that opportunity and to be able to promote citizenship, to give students as well as teachers a voice.

It’s small moments like these that principals find to be so important when it comes to effectively leading schools - and it reflects key strategies a school principal must develop to help their school thrive, no matter where they serve. These strategies include:

Building relationships, leading with learning, and being a data-driven leader.

Building Relationships

When it comes to principals, first impressions matter. Being able to establish and maintain quality relationships with teachers, students, families, and administrative staff provides a strong foundation and a sense of community.

At NIET, we see schools that invest in relationship-building frequently experience meaningful academic gains. Students are more likely to grow in their learning, which is then reflected in stronger performance on assessments and reduced gaps in achievement. These outcomes are reinforced when principals embrace the role of lead learner, modeling curiosity, persistence, and a growth mindset - showing in practice what it means to believe that improvement is always possible.

Academic traction is critical for effective principals, but so is the energy they bring to their classrooms. Do they know their students? Are they engaging with a building leader in the hallways, and is the principal approachable? It’s these factors paired with instructional improvement that set principals apart.

Leading With Learning

To instill curiosity and wonder, principals must stay curious themselves. Leaders who constantly seek constructive feedback and find ways to improve school systems model being a learner and build a culture of personal, career, and academic growth among students and teachers.

We hear from our partner principals that effective educators never stop being students, and that being a lead learner is not just a title or catchphrase - it’s a practice. When teachers and staff recognize their principal as the lead learner, trust grows, and the school community is more willing to take on challenges, embrace risks, and pursue meaningful change. Remaining open to learning from colleagues and students - and unlearning practices that no longer serve today’s learners - ensures continuous progress, and begins with embracing challenge.

Seeing challenges as an opportunity to change, learn, and grow builds a school’s capacity for improvement. Principals who draw on the strengths of their teams and show a commitment to a growth mindset and shared leadership which creates an environment that yields positive student outcomes.

As a principal, you're leading a learning organization because a school is a learning organization, and that means the adults in the building also have to have a learning mindset. Creating expectations and building a shared vision around high-quality learning for all students is the key. It shouldn't matter where your school is located for students to have the opportunity for high-quality teaching and learning.

Being a Data-Driven Leader

As principals look ahead and envision an improved school system, using data and student work as the foundation for planning is a third key quality for a school leader to develop. Effective principals understand the power of data and the importance of collaboration among educators in using it well. Teams that regularly engage in data-driven analysis and decision-making are better positioned to strengthen instruction, deliver effective coaching, and accelerate student learning.

Data brings clarity, and that builds trust with faculty and students. When data-driven decision-making is modeled at the top, it supports a culture of collaboration in which teachers work together, feel valued, and can actually see their results. 

At NIET, we’ve also learned through our partner principals that data brings clarity to more than teachers - it can help inform and motivate students, too. This shows that leading with data goes beyond numbers - it fuels passion for teaching and progress, empowering our students, and strengthening collaboration in school communities. 

Building relationships, establishing learning mindsets, and creating processes for data-driven decision-making are three key strategies that effective principals pursue. Along with these three factors, we hear effective principals often ask a single question that summarizes their drive to be effective: “How can we do better tomorrow?”