Charter schools were created to diversify public education, innovate with education programs and governance, increase student achievement, and serve as models for traditional public schools. The purpose of this study was to analyze leadership practices in independent high-performing charter schools in the Miami-Dade County of the State of Florida to identify how successful leaders are addressing challenges such as lack of funds, extra required responsibilities, and deficiency of district support. A qualitative multiple case study was employed. The sample consisted of six independent charter schools; the only charter schools considered high performing in the county that are not part of a school network run by a management organization. Data was collected from interviews and archival records. Several themes emerged, and the report is organized around those themes and the research questions. Several conclusions emerged from the analysis of the data, including the importance of fundraising events to overcome the lack of funds challenge, the strategy of distributing leadership to overcome the extra required responsibilities that come with this type of school, and the value of creating partnerships with organizations that will provide sources needed and unavailable through the school district. [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://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]