Principals of many New Zealand (NZ) mainstream schools navigate a complex intercultural educational policy environment to address the academic challenges of Maori and Pasifika students. This inquiry sought to explore the concept of "culturally responsive instructional leadership" by studying the knowledge, actions, motives, perceptions, and challenges of White principals in a primary school, an intermediate school, and a high school in NZ. The emergent conceptual definition of "culturally responsive instructional leadership" includes those purposeful, well-intentioned, creative, and collaborative actions that a principal takes to enhance the academic engagement and achievement of minority-culture students.