School leaders rightly tend toward collaboration and consensus-building when it comes to important decisions affecting students. But there are moments when, perhaps to their own surprise, they may find themselves willing to "go to the mat" on an important decision, whether consensus has been reached or not. Smith, a professor and chair of the literacy department at her university, describes several go-to-the-mat moments in her own practice and the practice of her colleagues. Such moments, she writes, enable leaders to reflect on the core values and motivations that spur them to make unilateral decisions. And by understanding and expressing their own core values, education leaders at all levels can better engage colleagues in rich dialogue about the work they are doing together.