Over the past 20 years two lines of argument have fostered global interest and investment in the preparation and development of school leaders. First, policymakers have increasingly come to the conclusion that education is a critical lever in social, economic, and cultural development, and that leadership is a necessary factor in creating quality educational systems. A second line of argument is grounded in the belief that the personal professional learning of leaders is a fundamental precondition for the creation of a learning community. Proponents of investment in leadership preparation are, however, too often forced to rely on an uneasy policy logic patched together out of indirect research sources, personal experience, and rhetoric. What role could the journal play in addressing this problem? In this brief essay, the author offers a few thoughts. (Contains 9 footnotes.)