The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of assistant principals in what they deem to be the needed managerial skills for promotion to campus principal. The sample for the study included 20 assistant principals in an urban school district located in Texas. The process of phenomenological enquiry provided the structure to examine the essence of the phenomenon and to describe it accurately through the subjects' experiences. The assistant principals participated in structured one-on-one interviews where ten open-ended questions were posed. All dialog from interviews were recorded and transcribed on Microsoft Word 2007 documents. The data analysis procedures used Microsoft Word 2007 "find" function to search for similar text data. All text data within the same category were grouped together and placed on Microsoft Office Excel 2007 spreadsheets. The text data from interviews underwent three flows of activities: data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing and verification. Seven theme indicators were the basis for theme definitions, dispositions, and modifications. The resulting five core themes were (a) collaborative approaches, (b) listening and presentation skills, (c) using powers of persuasion, (d) team and relationship building skills, and (e) diversity skills or mentorships. The importance of addressing this phenomenological study was to enhance the goal of student academic achievement in public schools by improving leadership practices. The implications derived from this study indicated that improving managerial skills for assistant principals may lead to student academic achievement. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]