Research on school leadership has shown that a principal's influence on student achievement is indirect and significant. A sample of principals who earned the highest (distinguished) rating on the Vanderbilt Assessment of Leadership in Education (VAL-ED) measure responded to open-ended questions during an in-person interview. Principals in this study identified specific actions of school leadership related to the VAL-ED-defined key processes and core components of learning-centered schools. A comparative analysis was conducted to discover if a difference existed between elementary and secondary principal responses.