6 Qualities School Districts Look For When Hiring a Principal

School districts are redefining what they look for in principals, prioritizing instructional leadership, community engagement, and student-centered leadership.

Ask a veteran principal, and they’ll tell you: The role of a school principal looks very different today than it did a decade ago. Once viewed primarily as managers who kept the building running, principals are now expected to be visionaries who drive instruction, shape culture, and connect schools with their communities.

Several forces accelerated this shift. The pandemic underscored just how much schools rely on principals to adapt quickly and steady their communities during crisis and disruption. Teacher burnout and the retention issues it has caused have made principals responsible not only for building strong pipelines of talent, but also for creating school cultures that keep teachers engaged and supported. 

At the same time, principals are also being asked to accelerate learning recovery, respond to growing student mental health needs, and meet families’ rising expectations for safety, communication, and opportunity.  

As recent research points out, principals are the linchpin of educational transformation—catalysts whose influence on teaching, learning, and culture is broader than any other school-based factor. And, school districts know this. That’s why, when they’re looking for principals to lead their schools, they’re not just seeking administrative expertise. They’re seeking truly transformational leaders who can elevate instruction, inspire educators and staff, and earn the trust of the entire school community. 

So, what exactly are districts looking for when they hire principals today? Here are six qualities that consistently rise to the top:

Instructional Leadership: A Core Quality of Effective Principals

At the core of the modern principalship is teaching and learning. The Wallace Foundation’s 2021 report, “How Principals Affect Students and Schools,” synthesizes two decades of research and found that one of the four behaviors of effective principals was “focusing their work with teachers on instruction.” That means principals who:

• Spend time in classrooms and give teachers actionable, growth-oriented feedback.
• Create professional learning systems—like PLCs and coaching—that help teachers improve and refine their practice.
• Understand curriculum, assessment, and standards deeply enough to be able to guide meaningful conversations about teaching and learning
• Use data to identify learning gaps, set goals, and measure progress—all while keeping the focus on student growth rather than compliance. 
• Build a culture of high expectations and continuous improvement across the school.

When principals are also committed instructional leaders, it communicates to teachers that their principal is a partner in the work, not someone evaluating them from afar. It also shows districts that the leader understands their ultimate responsibility: ensuring that every student 

A Student-First Mindset: Keeping Learners at the Center

Districts are also looking for principals who keep students at the center of every decision. That means recognizing that each child comes to school with different strengths, needs, and circumstances—and ensuring the school helps all of them succeed. Principals with a student-first mindset:

• Create welcoming and affirming environments where every student and their family feels seen, heard, and supported.
• Make thoughtful decisions about scheduling, discipline, and programming that open opportunities for students rather than limit them.
• Give students agency, listen to their voices, and ensure they’re used to shape school culture.
• Pay attention to who is thriving and who is being left out, and adjust practices to close those gaps.

This kind of leadership goes beyond academics. It’s about creating a school environment where students can learn, grow, and build the confidence and skills they’ll need long after graduation.

Building and Supporting Great School Teams

It’s said often, because it’s true: Schools rise or fall on the strength of their people. And districts know that a principal’s ability to build, support, and retain an effective team of educators and staff has as much impact on student success than any single program or initiative. 

At its core, this quality is all about developing strong relationships. None of the other pieces of the principalship would be possible without the relational structures that leaders work hard to develop within every part of the school ecosystem. They’re the undercurrent to nearly everything happening in our school buildings. Principals who excel in this area:

• Inspire trust and morale by being transparent, approachable, and consistent.
• Support teacher growth through meaningful feedback, coaching, and professional learning that helps staff refine their practice.
• Recognize and celebrate contributions so teachers feel valued and empowered.
• Stabilize their teams by addressing burnout and creating working conditions where staff want to stay.
• Balance accountability with support and empathy, holding high expectations while understanding the challenges teachers face.

Yet, we all know that principals are stretched thin. According to the Aspen Institute’s report on “Revolutionzing the Principalship,” principals spend “50% of their time on operational, administrative, and managerial duties; only 15% on internal relations with students and staff; and less than 5% on external relations with the community.” That’s why districts also look for leaders who know how to distribute leadership to their teams so they can stay focused on the human side of the work. 

Engaging Families and the Wider Community

A school doesn’t operate in isolation—it’s part of a larger community ecosystem. When districts are looking for their next leader, they’re looking for someone who not only understands this, but is eager to build strong connections beyond school walls. This means a principal who: 

• Prioritizes two-way communication and creates conversation through regular surveys, Q&A sessions, or feedback time.
• Co-creates with families to design initiatives and solve problems, rather than asking them to passively participate in plans that are already set.
• Builds trust by being visible and approachable, whether that’s at morning drop-off or at a community event
• Develops partnerships beyond families through collaborating with local businesses, nonprofits, and cultural organizations—expanding opportunities for students and strengthens the school’s role in the community.

When principals foster this kind of partnership, families and communities don’t just feel informed—they feel invested. And that investment strengthens trust, expands resources, and helps schools thrive.

Adaptability: Principal Leadership in Times of Change

If the past few years have proven anything, it’s that school leadership requires agility. From navigating a pandemic to responding to community crises or policy shifts, principals must constantly be balancing short-term responsiveness with long-term vision.

Adaptable leaders know how to move between perspectives—sometimes stepping onto the “dance floor” to be present in the daily fray, and other times pulling back to the “balcony” to see the bigger patterns playing out across the school. This balance allows them to spot emerging challenges, anticipate ripple effects, and respond with clarity instead of reactivity. This means being a leader who can:

• Stay calm under pressure and project steadiness for staff, students, and families.
• Communicate clearly and consistently, even in times of uncertainty.
• Strike the right pace of change, keeping progress moving forward without overwhelming staff or pushing faster than the community is ready for.
• See conflict as a part of the change process rather than a sign of failure—but navigate it with care and empathy.
• Model resilience, showing staff and students how to adapt, recover, and keep going.

Adaptability isn’t just about reacting to the unexpected. It’s about leading through change in a way that balances urgency with compassion—keeping the school community steady, even when the ground is moving underneath everyone’s feet.

Visionary Leadership That Shapes the Future of Schools

What all of these qualities point to is a simple truth: principals are no longer defined by the tasks they manage but by the change they lead. 

Districts want leaders who can inspire confidence in teachers, students, and families while keeping schools moving steadily toward their goals. Above all, they’re looking for principals who can pair these qualities with a clear vision and the ability to deliver results. It’s that balance—big-picture leadership grounded in steady, everyday progress—that reassures districts their schools will not only function, but flourish.

If you’re aspiring to the principalship, now is the time to ask yourself: which of these qualities already define your leadership—and which ones you need to strengthen to be ready for the role. The New Leaders National Aspiring Principals Fellowship is designed to help you do exactly that: grow the skills, confidence, and vision districts are looking for in their next generation of school leaders.

Learn more about how the National Aspiring Principals Fellowship prepares leaders with the qualities districts need most.

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