IntroductionSchool districts across the province have signed improvement agreements with the BC Ministry of Education and the Board of Education of First Nations in the hope of achieving parity between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people. -Indigenous students (British Columbia Ministry of Education, 2010). The need for these agreements stems from the long-standing lower performance of Indigenous students on provincial standardized tests (such as basic skills assessments and provincial exams) that students take each year (B.C. Ministry of Education , 2010). The literature suggests that many factors, such as school, student and family, influence the academic success of Aboriginal students (Clarke, 1994). One of these factors is the leadership of the school principal. To improve the academic success of Indigenous students, I propose that secondary school principals become both managers and leaders. The need for this approach is demonstrated by an instructive case study of a rural school principal who acts solely as a manager. I chose this case study because I think it is representative of the trend that most managers are currently following. I will also demonstrate how the positive effect of moving to a leader-led school will be on the academic success of Indigenous high school students. But to begin, it is necessary to differentiate the terms leadership and management, and to determine whether it is possible for a single person to fulfill both functions. Leadership and management What is the difference between a manager and a leader? Are the terms interchangeable? These questions can be answered by examining two simple definitions in the literature for the terms...... middle of article ......inference between the roles and actions of leaders and managers. School principals are capable of adopting each approach and appropriate implementation would benefit staff and ultimately student performance. As the case study and literature show, most school principals currently take on a management role, but neglect being leaders. Therefore, most managers should emphasize leadership behavior to balance the position. In the future, I propose examining the structure of the school system to find ways that would give principals more time to be leaders. Additionally, school principals should undergo ongoing and direct professional leadership training to further improve the necessary skills. Once leadership techniques are properly implemented, I am confident that there will be a marked improvement in the success of Indigenous high school students..