Principal leadership is an important factor impacting student performance which has a major effect on student achievement. Consequently, during the 21st century, there has been a paradigm shift in principals exiting the public school system, which has resulted in the high level of principal turnover being a major challenge that public school districts face. The purpose of this qualitative study was to capture the lived experiences of 10 principals currently serving at low-performing K-8 urban schools in Michigan through a phenomenological approach regarding the challenges and how these experiences influenced them to remain in the role for five to ten years. A researcher-created interview guide was utilized to conduct data collection designed to solicit responses that resulted in themes from the two research questions guiding the research. The attribution and motivation theories were the foundation of this study. The findings indicated that understanding and practicing servant leadership, gaining support from the community, building relationships, the love for students, and motivation to improve student chronic absenteeism, along with the drive to maintain a high level of passion for educating students, resolving challenges faced by teachers, and providing staff support and improving staff attendance as themes that impacted the participants' decisions to remain in the role for five to ten years, despite the challenges. The recommendations for future research include conducting a replication of this qualitative phenomenological study at the same as well as a different school district examining a larger sample size of principals to determine if additional themes may emerge. [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.]