The case study presented in this paper illustrates how the succession process for principals is similar to that described by Gabarro in his study of corporate succession. Leader succession involves five major stages: (1) taking hold; (2) immersion; (3) reshaping; (4) consolidation; and (5) refinement. Success most frequently occurs in conjunction with three effective behaviors on the part of the successors. Successful new managers are effective at: (1) assessing the organization and diagnosing its problems; (2) building a management team focused on a set of shared expectations; and (3) bringing about timely changes that address organizational problems. The paper illustrates how leadership and its power and importance during growth, change, and crisis fit into the five stages by describing a case study of principal succession at a middle school in Southern California. Data were collected through interviews of two district-level administrative employees, two site-level administrative employees, one site-level counselor, eight certificated employees, and four classified employees. Information was also taken from journal entries, observations, and document analysis of faculty meeting minutes, memos to staff, a statement of mutual expectations and educational leadership, and a strategic plan. The text describes the principal's background and the conditions under which he assumed the principalship. It narrates the principal's philosophy of dialogue, how he took control, the steps that went into formulating the action plan for the school, and statements from staff members regarding the school's transformation. The case study illustrates the impact that a single leader with a vision can, through stages, have upon the future of a school. (RJM)