| Summary: | The values, that principals hold, invariably influence the school community as a whole, the ethos of the school, as well as teaching and learning in the classroom. The principal’s values indicate his or her emphases, which become a guiding light for teachers and staff in their daily practice. Common factors among principals who have succeeded in improving students’ achievement seem to include the principal’s personal values, such as caring for students and staff; his or her professional values, such as placing students’ interests first; his or her view, that all students can be successful; and whether he or she has a vision for the school (Leithwood, Day, Sammons, Harris og Hopkins, 2006). Principals who are supportive also hold the view, that decision making and authority should be shared in their schools. The supportive principal or leader encourages cooperation and team work (Hord, 2008; Hoy og Miskel, 2013; Keith, 2008). The principals’ caring is evident in the support they give to students and staff, which is in some schools appears to be the main object of their leadership (Lambert, 2006). This research is based on interviews with principals in 22 compulsory schools in Reykjavik. The interviews were analyzed in search for answers to the following questions: How do the principals view their role as school leaders? What values do they hold? Who leads the professional discussion in their schools? What role do they give department leaders (middle managers) in building reciprocal connections between teachers and principals? Finally, since teaching and learning are at a school’s core, we asked how the principals connect to teachers. Middle managers as leaders of departments and teacher teams represent a relatively recent development in Icelandic schools, so their roles have not been carefully defined and the definitions involved differ from school to school. Laufey Hreiðarsdóttir (2002) observes that their leadership role needs to be strengthened and become an integrative part of team leadership in their ...
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