Experience in problem-based learning, authentic experiences, on-the-job decision making, and critical reflection on decisions made formed the conceptual framework of an internship to develop democratic leadership as a professional ethic in interns. Interns in an on-the-job guided internship examined decisions over a 13-week period as they practiced responsiveness to problems, a component of democratic leadership. From their decision making, themes of volatile issues, student lies, conflicts with other administrators, proactive decisions and actions, personal insights, relationship building, and management emerged. Results indicate that an internship rich in mentoring and critical reflection on decision making helps interns overcome conceptual barriers about the job and optimize talents, but does not develop a professional ethic as democratic leaders in part due to supermemes within the school culture, including fear of failure.