Rachel Wilson is a novice principal and new school leader of a large English junior-senior high school located in a rural township of a maritime province in Canada. Upon her appointment, she was challenged with having to establish herself as a credible leadership choice for the venue in addition to having to engage in new role learning as a first-time principal. Immediately, Rachel was charged with having to attain to provincial accreditation for her school while she faced leadership resistance from an informal veteran power group within the school. This case focuses on the challenges a beginning principal must manage in developing different dimensions of early-phase leadership, while, at the same time, achieving school improvement goals.