This narrative inquiry study explores whether and to what extent common themes exist in the development of successful principals. The qualities, beliefs, characteristics, and abilities of the successful principals are assumed to be those of a successful leader. Successful is defined for this study as those principals who have led a low-performing school to exceed the growth targets in the academic performance index (API) set for the school by the state of California for 3 consecutive years. Eight principals, five women and three men, participated in one to two unstructured interviews and the life stories were analyzed to understand the factors, internal and external, that developed them as leaders. The data analysis resulted in the following findings: significant life experiences trigger profound shifts in an individual's development as a leader; being immersed in an environment different from the accustomed one shifts perspective and assists leaders to be supportive of relationships, mentors, and role models exhibiting belief in the individual.