Amazon #1 Best Seller in School Management
Every principal remembers the moment it hit them — the realization that the job is nothing like they imagined. The meetings, the mandates, the teacher who won’t budge, the parent who storms in at 8:00 a.m., the student who breaks your heart. And somewhere underneath all of it, a quiet question:
Am I really cut out for this?
This book was written for that moment. This principal leadership book gives you the tools to lead with clarity, confidence, and purpose from day one.”
Drawing on over three decades of real experience in classrooms, schools, and district offices — and grounded in John Maxwell’s 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership — The Principal’s Leadership Journey gives you the practical wisdom and proven frameworks that great principals actually use. Trail-tested. School-tested. Ready for Monday morning.
This is not a theory. It is real leadership guidance for real school challenges.
This practical school leadership guide helps principals and district leaders:
Every chapter includes reflection questions, leadership action steps, and real-world frameworks you can implement immediately.
Unlike many educational leadership books that focus on theory, The Principal’s Leadership Journey provides practical, ready-to-use frameworks including:
The COMPASS Framework — Finding your True North and leading from purpose, not pressure
The CULTURE Framework — Transforming a toxic school climate into one where teachers stay and students thrive
The TEACH Framework — Discipline that liberates learning time instead of consuming it
The SURVIVE Framework — Sustainable leadership, because you cannot lead from an empty vessel
The DISC Profile in Action — Reading your staff and communicating in ways that actually land
Rebuilding trust after inheriting a school where the last leader burned every bridge
Crucial conversations with resistant and undermining staff members
These tools help principals move from reacting to challenges… to leading schools intentionally and strategically.
This leadership resource is ideal for:
✔ First-year principals navigating the realities of school leadership
✔ Veteran administrators seeking renewed clarity and purpose
✔ Assistant principals preparing for the principalship
✔ Superintendents and district leaders developing leadership pipelines
✔ Instructional leadership teams focused on improving school outcomes
If you are responsible for leading a school or supporting those who do, this book offers a proven roadmap.
★★★★★ “Dr. Ford does an excellent job of bridging John Maxwell’s leadership principles and the everyday challenges faced by school administrators. Especially valuable were the reflection questions and exercises at the end of each chapter — which take this from simply a helpful book with good ideas to a must-have tool for educational leaders who truly want to hone their skills. This should be in every principal’s hands!” — Rogerio R. | Verified Purchase |
★★★★★ “I had the privilege of working with the author while serving as an assistant superintendent. Mrs. Ford was hired to coach our principals. Her knowledge and expertise were consistently evident as she guided our principals through a year-long growth process. Through her leadership, they developed greater clarity, confidence, and capacity as instructional leaders. This book is a must-read for any practicing school leader.” — Kathy | Former Assistant Superintendent | Verified Purchase |
★★★★★ “This book is for every leader at every level of leadership. It will be your guide to help you navigate what’s most important to be a leader that everyone deserves. Every page has something you can implement right away and the action steps will keep you focused and accountable. If you are hoping to leave a legacy, don’t miss the opportunity to learn from Dr. Ford.” — El | Former Principal |
★★★★★ “The Principal’s Leadership Journey feels less like a leadership manual and more like a guide for doing the real work of becoming a better leader. Jeanne Ford walks through leadership as an ongoing process — not something you arrive at, but something you continually refine. This is a book I could read multiple times and take away something new each time.” — Terin | Director of Special Education / Former Client |
★★★★★ “Dr. Ford’s 37 years of experience shine through every chapter. She doesn’t just tell you what Maxwell taught; she shows you how to apply all 21 Laws of Leadership in your school, with your staff, for your students. Highly recommended for anyone leading in education who wants to move from surviving to thriving.” — Resource Management Consultants LLC | Leadership Development | Verified Purchase ★★★★★ “This book should be in every school leader’s library, probably kept on their desk. Comprehensive and an easy read, it provides guidance to beginners and veterans alike. A sound resource for any leader or anyone who aspires to lead!” — Scotty H. | Former Superintendent | Verified Purchase ★★★★★ “The Principal’s Leadership Journey is a must read! This book will support principals with family partnerships, school culture, coaching teachers, and change leadership. The Action Steps at the end of each chapter will support professional growth and the growth of your school team!” — Mariah Weber | Verified Purchase ★★★★★ “Jeanne’s new book is a valuable resource for both aspiring and seasoned educational leaders. Jeanne’s the real deal and lives out her book both as an education leader and business owner.” — Brian Stroh | Leadership Trainer & Coach | Verified Purchase |
Many districts use The Principal’s Leadership Journey as the foundation for:
✔ Principal leadership retreats and administrative team training
✔ Leadership coaching cycles for new and developing principals
✔ School culture transformation initiatives
✔ New principal mentoring and induction programs
✔ Superintendent-led professional development for district leadership teams
Dr. Ford is available for keynote speaking, full-day training, and ongoing coaching partnerships with school districts across Arkansas and Nationwide.
Order your copy of this principal leadership book today and start leading with confidence!
Reduce your office referrals; increase your scores
The success of Time To Teach has been published in Leadership magazine. Read Order in the Classroom, a published article written by Kelly Graham, National Director at the Center for Teacher Effectiveness and Elsbeth Prigmore, high school principal. Time To Teach is a consistent classroom management system that saves instructional time and improves school climate.
____________________________________________________________________
“During my first two years as principal of Clark Street Elementary School, we experienced over 300 office referrals and over 150 out-of-school suspensions! This year we implemented Rick’s strategies and so far we have only had two office referrals in six weeks!”
John Hargrove, Principal, Clark Street Elementary, North Carolina
“Lawton Public Schools is a lower socioeconomic school district in Oklahoma that services 17,000 Pre-K through 12th grade students, over half of which are minority. Twenty-nine of our thirty-five schools were trained using the Time To Teach strategies, affecting more than 11,000 children. Following training, we experienced a 16% decrease in suspensions and office referrals and a dramatic decrease in pupil enrollment for Behavior Intervention and Behavior Disorder classes. We have also seen a 9% increase in test scores and none of our schools are on the school improvement list for No Child Left Behind.”
Billy Davis, Executive Director Elementary Education, Lawton Public Schools, Oklahoma
“We have used the Time To Teach strategies for eighteen years! These strategies allowed me to get into the classrooms and help teachers instead of having to deal with a line of students awaiting discipline intervention. Time To Teach truly delivers on its promise to gain back valuable teaching time that is so often lost to matters of discipline.”
Lynette Hedden, Retired Principal, Richland, Washington
“The number of student referrals in our middle school has dropped 30% on average, every year over the past three years. It is because of Time to Teach that I can say with pride, “Every day I teach!”
Keith Johnson, Teacher/Technology Director, Reading Community Schools, Michigan
“I have seen some of my students move up from Special Education and Title Programs to achieve at grade level performance. My referrals have been eliminated. Students that were never able to do so before are now meeting benchmark standards and making dramatic gains in reading and writing fluency. After 19 years as an educator, I finally have Time To Teach with care and compassion.”
Libba Sager, Elementary Teacher, Toledo Elementary, Oregon
“I have seen a 15 point gain in math and science scores on the state standardized test, which helped our school meet its AYP/API, and I have not sent a single student to the office all year. Time To Teach has helped me successfully teach second language learners, children with ADD, ADHD, Tourettes, learning disabilities, disenfranchised youth, and impoverished students.”
James Turner, Middle School Teacher, Lompoc, California
“At Lompoc Valley Middle School, the referral numbers for class disruption were reduced by 62% using Time to Teach strategies, and Lompoc High School’s referral numbers were lower than those of the rival high school for the first time ever.”
Carrie Chase, High School Counselor, Lahainaluna High School, Hawaii
“Pioneer Continuation High School has our district’s highest number of at-risk 11th and 12th grade students. Using the Time to Teach blueprint, we saw school suspensions drop from 39% to 18% over a three-year period, in-house suspensions cut in half, and significant increases in passing rates on the California High School Exit Exam and other student achievement measures. Overall, the school has experienced a positive, systemic cultural change.”
Elsbeth Prigmore, Principal, Pioneer Continuation High School, California