In providing leadership for school improvement teams, principals must employ group communication and decision-making skills. In this study, a planning procedure called Quality Function Deployment (QFD) was modified for use with school-based administrators. Teams of school leaders used QFD to generate the top priority needs of school customers (students, parents, and teachers) for school improvement goals. Burton and Merrill's taxonomy of needs sources and Kaufman's Organizational Elements Model were used to classify and analyze the perceived needs identified by the principals. Results indicated that school leaders were adept at using the QFD process and that assuming the customer's perspective enabled principals to identify needs beyond those typically identified for school improvement. Several patterns of needs were observed across the categories of the Burton and Merrill and the Kaufman systems, suggesting that both analysis procedures can provide school improvement teams with valuable insights for their needs analysis and eventual needs assessment activities. The emphasis on students' personal needs and teachers' professional needs serves to remind educators of their highest priorities. Contains 28 references and 2 tables summarizing participants' perceptions of their customers' needs. (Author/MLH)