American schools have recently been exposed to a grave cycle of educational distress advanced by both internal and external constituencies for a variety of reasons, which range from political correctness to vouchers. Responses by educational administrators appeared to have found solace in the overt practice of deliberate inaction rather than through legitimate leadership practices. Deliberate inaction has advanced "feeble leadership" as an acceptable means of educational direction, which has stalled school effectiveness. The paper outlines five leadership strategies to replace indecisive stalling: knowledge-based leadership patterns; preferential treatment for excellent performance; valid and reliable decision making; consequence-based responsibility; and proactive leadership behavior. One table is included. (Contains 14 references.) (LMI)