This study explored what K-12 teachers believe are the most important skills and attitudes of an effective principal and how these attributes contribute to their job satisfaction. It then examined whether these valued attributes evolved during the COVID-19 pandemic. A case study methodology was utilized to investigate the perceptions of 12 teachers and four principals serving in K-12 settings in a Title 1 district in Southern Arizona during the pandemic school years. The following questions guided this study: What do K-12 teachers believe are the most important skills and attitudes of an effective principal and why? In what ways do leadership attributes contribute to teacher satisfaction? How did principals' leadership behaviors change during and after the pandemic? In what ways, if any, did teachers' perceptions of the most important leadership qualities change during and after the pandemic? In what ways did changes in leadership impact teacher satisfaction? Findings indicated teachers most valued principals who are supportive, good at communicating, friendly, open, and approachable. When principals regularly acted in these ways, the culture and climate of their school developed into a positive place where staff trusted them. Also, the study found the COVID-19 pandemic greatly impacted how principals led their schools and how their teachers reacted to their leadership. During the crisis, principals became more directive, communicated more frequently, prioritized differently, made many individualized considerations, and emotionally supported staff in ways they had not needed to do before. Discussing the pandemic was challenging for most participants in this study. [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.]