This article employs organizational life cycle, organizational learning stages and group development stages literature to examine my experiences at the National College for School Leadership (NCSL) during its establishment phase. Support was found, and other foci suggested, for this literature. As well, future issues to be faced by the NCSL were suggested, such as domain expansion and further decentralization and developing the maturity to be able to accommodate those who wish to be constructively critical of its activities. (Contains 1 figure and 4 notes.)