This portraiture study of four exceptional scholars in education--John Goodlad, John Hoyle, Joseph Murphy, and Thomas Sergiovanni--provides insight into their scholarly work and life habits, direction and aspirations, assessment and analysis of major trends in the profession, and advice for aspiring leaders and academics. Telephone interviews with the leading scholars (4) and their referral colleagues (8), in addition to document analysis, validated the following criteria for the selection of exceptional scholarship previously generated via survey respondents (educational leadership professors): The scholar (1) publishes widely, (2) has broad impact, (3) has multiple spheres of influence, and (4) has established mentoring systems. Democratic concepts and agendas for education emerged from the interviews focused on exceptional scholarship, an outcome incorporated within the results.