Principals can be categorized as initiators, managers, or responders according to the extent to which they initiate significant change, accommodate change through effective management, or react to developments only as they occur. An interview-based study of 12 elementary school principals, four of whom were placed in each of the three categories by their supervisors, suggested that the visions that initiators held for the development of their schools were of longer range and greater scope than those held by managers or responders. The initiators tended to develop a greater number of visions and to integrate them better than did managers or responders, and were relatively more interested in program-related matters. Managers and responders were more concerned with facilities than were initiators. Responders were particularly interested in bureaucratic matters and in satisfying others. Managers worked toward attaining their visions, but less persistently than did initiators. Initiators used the greatest range of strategies to achieve their visions, and worked hardest at them. This paper reviews the literature on leadership styles, then describes the study purposes, methodology, sample, findings, and conclusions. Implications for the selection of effective principals are considered. Twenty-two references are cited. (PGD)