This study addresses the question of what principles need to be incorporated into the daily life of women in leadership positions to assist in their success. It is framed around the work of Carlos Castaneda, who describes the path of a warrior in metaphorical terms through seven principles of power: (1) knowing the battleground; (2) discarding the unnecessary; (3) choosing battles; (4) taking risks; (5) seeking retreat; (6) compressing time; and (7) exercising power. Each principle is defined and discussed as it is applied to a warrior's philosophy and to the philosophy of educational leadership. Two female principals are used as case models to illustrate these seven principles of power and the theoretical framework they provide. The principles offer a possibility for a metaphoric frame for interpreting and understanding successful leadership and establishing cultures in new schools, while serving as a vehicle for communicating the findings of the research, and turning insights into disciplined systems for success and survival. The work of Castaneda provides a guide to interpretive analysis of those intangible facets that are reflected in qualitative research and assist in interpretation of the work in the field, making it especially appropriate for work based on narrative, such as this study. (Contains 27 references.) (RT)