Book excerpt: This book explores ideas I have developed over eighteen years of preparing school leaders. This work also draws heavily on my experience as a public school principal and district superintendent. As a professor of school leadership and as an administrator myself, I have noticed that no currently available books argue that self-regulation, listening, empathy, and self-knowledge are foundational to developing a strong leadership capacity. This book suggests that building these capacities will lead to both personal and professional growth. Further, this book suggests that developing leadership skills in this wayalso known as taking an inquiry stancewill help school leaders cultivate a deliberate decision-making process that respects contending perspectives and leads to greater leadership success.