This mixed methods research study investigated stage of ego development and "leadership capacity" in a purposeful, stratified sample of 12 Illinois school district superintendents. The purpose of this study was to determine the following: 1) are postconventional stages of ego development evidenced in school superintendents; 2) do the number of years in career as superintendent relate to later stages of ego development; and 3) are there significant themes belonging to superintendents in the same stage of ego development as they describe what is valuable and important to them when discussing school policy and decision-making. Three stages of ego development [Expert (3/4), Achiever (4), Individualist (4/5)] were identified in this sample. More number of career years as a superintendent did not suggest later stages of ego development. Themes related to what superintendents described as important and valuable when discussing school policy and decision-making emerged in each of the ego stages identified by the Sentence Completion Test-Leadership Maturity Framework (SCTi-MAP) assessment. [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.]