The Dilemmas of Principalship

The Free Dictionary defines a dilemma as a situation that requires a choice between options that are or seem equally unfavorable or mutually exclusive. As the school leader, principals are confronted by dilemmas every day; to make things more difficult; those dilemmas not only affect the person making the decision, but can also change the futures of countless people if not dealt with appropriately.
At this point in our history, budgetary concerns are the driving force behind many of the dilemmas facing school leaders. When cuts need to be made, it is the student interest which needs to be the focus of the decision made. But those decisions will always be the wrong decision for the people who are negatively affected.
In class, we discussed the emotional aspect of school principalship. The conversation focused around the idea that when some decisions are made, there may be aspects of the decision that must be kept classified from the general public. The decision may incorrectly paint the school leader in an unfavorable light. The dilemma not only is in the removal of the program, but also in understanding that your reputation could be redeemed if only the true facts were made public. Your choices are either stay quiet and have a tarnished reputation or speak up and possibly lose your job due to a break in protocol.
Although these dilemmas are inevitable, a school leader that is confident in their decision making process will not allow these dilemmas to have a negative impact on their performance. Blankenstein discussed the importance of a common mission, vision, and goals. As a school leader, I would assume that these commonalities could reduce the number of dilemmas encountered, because the path has already been established and if it is followed precisely, all those who subscribe to that vision should be satisfied by the decision made.