This study investigated successful school leadership in seven public secondary general/gymnasium schools with middle Social Economic Status (SES) backgrounds from seven different regions: five suburban/rural, and two from urban areas. Criteria for selection of the schools included: principals with at least three years experience; student success at university entrance exam results with improving results over the last three years; four years or more at the same school. The presentation will report of the context of the study, contribution to success by the principal, measures of success as perceived by the educational community, achievements, and key strategies and interventions. Finally the characteristics, leadership style and values will be outlined. The initial findings show that principals are perceived by teachers, parents and students to make a difference. Their contribution is measureable in terms of their impact on the school climate, staff development, high expectations and setting direction. Success was measured in terms of student outcomes, staff cohesion, community attitudes and reputation in the community. Leadership characteristic and styles varied, but each principal had a strong sense of purpose and humanitarian values. In addition the research team will be researching a further seven schools from different regions: five small schools (over 200) and two large schools (over 1000). It is intended to add the primarily findings from this later studies to the seven initial schools.