This study uses an interview protocol made up of a cluster of questions that refer to five different stages of a charter school principal. This interview protocol is used to explore the skills and leadership qualities that charter school principals have in order to analyze the difference between charter school principals and traditional public school principals. These interviews reveal the knowledge of charter school principals and how they have adapted to the different roles that they must perform. The interviews also reveal whether the charter school principals feels prepared to run a charter school and how they perceive themselves as successful. Though these principals' education, credentials held, and years in service varied, all of them stated that they still have difficulty in managing the several roles that a charter school principal must navigate. They perceive that traditional public school principal are able to manage their role better because there are several administrators within their school that can focus on one of the several roles at the school site. All of the principals state that the difficulty in the role has led them to question whether or not this is the right position for them. In analyzing the data, the theme that comes across uniformly is that they are committed to the charter school and charter management organization because they believe in the schools mission and vision. They accepted this role and continue in the work because this is where they feel they can make the most impact to students and the community. That is something that speaks to their personal passion and core values. [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.]