When an editor sanctions a set of authors to expound on what they believe is blighting the world of education, who can be sure of what they are likely to suggest? Not surprisingly, in the present instance the authors of the six papers in this collection have seized on the freedom they have been granted and have outlined a range of afflictions. The potential of such an open agenda is to make the job of discussant a hazardous one. In this essay, the author hopes to show that there are occasions when the authors' arguments have converged and at times when they have diverged. Overall, their collective assessment is reminiscent of Hamlet's verdict on the ailing state of the kingdom at Elsinore: there are things that are rotten in the realm of school leadership. The author begins his discussion with the issues raised by Pat Thomson. (Contains 33 footnotes.)