The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between school principals' paternalist leadership behaviors perceived by teachers and teacher performances. In this context, 431 teachers (313 women), (118 men) working in different institutional types were included in the study using the predictive research design. Data were collected through the Paternalist Leadership Behaviors Scale (Dagli and Agalday 2017) and Teacher Performance Evaluation Scale (Ozgenel, 2019). Data were having been analyzed by t-test, ANOVA, correlation, and regression. As a result of the research, the moral, authoritarian and exploitative paternalistic leadership behaviors perceived by the teachers do not differ significantly according to the gender of the teachers, whereas male teachers have higher perceptions of benevolent paternalistic leadership. According to the seniority variable, benevolent, moral, authoritarian, exploitative fatherly leadership behaviors and paternalistic leadership total scores do not differ significantly. According to the schools where teachers work, the benevolent and moral paternalistic leadership behaviors and paternalistic leadership total scores do not differ significantly; However, teachers working in secondary schools see school principals more authoritative than teachers working in primary schools. Also, teachers working in high schools consider school principals more exploitative than teachers working in secondary school. As a result of the analysis of performance, female teachers 'performances are higher than male teachers, whereas teachers' performances do not differ significantly according to their seniority and school levels. Paternalist leadership is a type of leadership with high potential and the existence of paternalist leadership behaviors in educational organizations can be explained better by researching new concepts and adding new variables.