A critical challenge for urban charter/autonomous/independent schools is finding educational leaders with the courage to lead with authenticity; integrity and ingenuity using standards based practices to effect transformational change within schools. Two decades after the first charter school opened, leaders still continue to face a range of challenges that traditional public school leaders do not face. Without the type of district support that traditional public school leaders benefit from, charter/autonomous leaders must be able to prepare themselves by tapping into alternative resources quickly and efficiently. This book begins by cultivating the balance of self, both personal and professional, that will guide leaders to manage the operational and educational demands of leading a charter/autonomous school. With a didactic approach identifying skills and capacities needed above and beyond the Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium Standards (ISLLC), this book will give administrators the requisite skills and necessary tools to effectively manage the complexities of leadership in urban charter/autonomous schools.