Jargon associated with mentoring can be confusing. Is a new leader involved in induction, being mentored, or experiencing coaching? Induction is meant to familiarize a new employee with the details and scope of job responsibilities, while mentoring and coaching are directed at skill development. Elementary and secondary principals rate mentoring as the most useful feature of their preparation for the principalship when polled by their respective professional organizations. And the body of research on school excellence makes it abundantly clear that effective schools are run by effective principals. In fact, the principal plays the most vital role in the school. Mentors help leaders move beyond complacency toward excellence. The preferable time for a new leader to connect with a mentor is prior to or at the very start of the job. In this article, the author discusses the challenge of a principal's first few years which can be mitigated with the help of a trusty mentor.