Teacher shortages in recent years have led to an alarming number of teacher positions being filled by emergency or alternatively certified teachers. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore principals' perceptions and use of servant leadership to support and retain teachers during a teacher shortage. Purposeful sampling was used to select two elementary principals within the same school district with a tenure of at least five years at their current school and based on the results of their Servant Leader Performance Self Assessment. Data collection occurred through interviews, site observations, and artifact collection. Findings showed interpersonal relationships within each school were a critical factor in high teacher retention rates. Principals utilized a variety of strategies including social activities, collaborative planning, professional learning communities, and staff celebrations to foster positive interpersonal relationships at their school. In addition, recruiting new teachers into the field of education was important to maintaining a healthy teacher workforce. This study showed how servant leadership had not been a point of emphasis during a teacher shortage despite the positive perception teachers had towards servant leadership behaviors such as conceptualizing, providing emotional healing, putting followers first, and empowering. Researchers can use this study to further understand how specific antecedent conditions affect servant leadership behaviors and demonstrate how school leaders should be active recruiters, promote collaboration and cohesion, and adapt their leadership practices to external changes. In addition, formal training in servant leadership may lead to increased perceptions of support and higher teacher retention rates. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]