In this commentary, the author highlights some of the insights and commentaries of the various stakeholder perspectives contained in this special issue. It was highly apparent that the leaders not only were talking the talk, they were also walking the walk, specifically in the development and implementation of leadership academies. University professors committed to inconvenient travel and scheduling that catered first to the needs of students and partnering institutions. District and/or tribal partner academies required strong commitments from practicing administrators, such as volunteering for additional evening work hours, taking on additional mentorship duties, and engaging in a program that adds significantly to their work load. But in the end, they knew that improved leadership in their institutions could improve student performance. The leadership academy model required a substantial shift from traditional educational leadership programming, and to accomplish this, there was demonstration of the ability to be change agents and optimizers, both proven leadership qualities taught in these academies. The evidence across many years indicates that these educational leaders are doing more than simply teaching the leadership values found in national standards and research, they are truly embodying and modeling them to their students in these academies. These leaders have prioritized student needs in the context of the challenges facing schools today and have adjusted the traditional system to fit those needs.