The Finnish school is a success story. The foundation for the success is excellence in Educational Leadership. The role of a principal is crucial for creating a school culture that ensures an inspiring atmosphere and a sustainable development of a school.

This book supports a principal’s professional development from qualified to excellent and describes how the principal successfully works in close cooperation with the entire school community.

The book serves principals, educational leaders, school developers and aspiring principals, as well as all those involved in developing a school's culture.

The authors of the book have long experience and in-depth knowledge of running a school and improving the school culture, both in Finland and abroad. Tapio Lahtero, PhD, Adjunct Professor of educational leadership is the Director of the teacher training schools and the Director of the Principal Training Program at the University of Helsinki. Mikko Salonen, MA (Ed.) works at Konsulttipaja Ltd as a consulting partner in diverse educational leadership projects. He has previously served as a principal for 20 years.

- “Tapio Lahtero and Mikko Salonen uncover a more fundamental reason for the success: it has been institutionalized into the culture of learning through the careful development of school principals as guardians and leaders of cultures” - Dr. Michael Fullan, Professor Emeritus, University of Toronto, Canada.

- “This book breaks the mould on school leadership by showing how leaders raise performance and get important jobs done by building a way of being with their community that is humanistic, cooperative and in tune with creating a good society together.” - Dr. Andy Hargreaves, Research Professor, Boston College, United States.

- “This brilliant book reveals what educational leadership culture in Finland looks like and how school leadership excellence is step-by-step built in nation’s every single school. - Dr. Pasi Sahlberg, Visiting Professorial Fellow, UNSW, Sydney, Australia.

- “In this outstanding account of the role of the principal, Lahtero and Salonen move their readers from understanding First-Order Change to Second-Order Change. This is a must-read for all leaders, teachers, and would-be teachers”. - Dr. Lyn Sharratt, Ed D., Internship Supervisor, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, Toronto, Canada.

- “The authors have a holistic view of leadership based on shared values and the creation of an inclusive school culture. The authors share their leadership experience and knowledge, generalised into conceptual frameworks.” - Dr. Eve Eisenschmidt, Professor of educational leadership, Tallinn University, Estonia.

Alkuteos: Pätevästä erinomaiseksi : rehtori koulun toimintakulttuurin kehittäjänä.