The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to examine the lived experiences of special education teachers as they relate to teacher preparation programs and how they prepared teachers to work with and lead paraprofessionals. Hersey and Blanchard's situational leadership approach and Adult Leadership Theory are the theoretical basis for this study. Qualitative data was collected through twelve semi-structured interviews. Findings showed that special education teachers do perceive that college preparation programs do not adequately prepare them to lead paraprofessionals. Data also supported the claim that a lack of adult leadership training did have a negative affect on workplace relationships between special education teachers and paraprofessionals. Finally, participants noted a variety of trainings they believed would be beneficial for teaching these skills. This study has important implications as it deals with special education teachers' overall effectiveness in leading other adults. The information found in this study could be utilized as a resource by universities looking to evaluate the effectiveness of their special education teacher preparation programs. Researchers proposed specific types of university preparation classes that special education teachers need to acquire the skills needed to lead paraprofessionals. [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.]