Resumen en inglés

While many scholars agree on the influence and importance principal leadership has on some school processes, still little is known about how principals influence or shape school processes, leading to debate about the degree of impact they might have. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine how school principals go through school processes such as achieving school outcomes, playing leadership roles, and making school improvements Through this phenomenological study of 5 participants at an urban public school I intended to answer the phenomenological question, “How do central stake holders make sense of their leadership in a public urban secondary school in a city in Colombia? The study employed seven step Stevick-Colaizzi’s--Keen method of phenomenological analysis and a descriptive approach to phenomenology. Data was collected through in-depth, semi-structured interviews, and reflective diaries. Six themes emerged from the data: 1) The power of connectedness, 2) The wholeness of communication, 3) Awareness of a sense of community, 4) A sense of practicalness in education, 5) The uniqueness of a leadership style, 6) Awareness of a commitment to a mission. The findings from this study provided a deeper understanding of the influence principal leadership has on school outcomes and they added to the current body of research regarding the relationship between principal leadership and school improvement.