Effective problem solving contributes to school leaders' ability to create lasting improvement in classroom and organizational practice. By addressing the practice of school leaders as a first concern, this book focuses on the skills required for smart, effective problem solving. Kruse first focuses on the tasks of problem solving (identifying problems, initiating actions, and evaluating results) and describes three areas (employing effective communication, designing constructive policies, and developing supportive systems ) on which school leaders should concentrate. By linking the tasks of problem solving to the work leaders do, the book provides strategies for school leaders to accomplish their goals.