The purpose of this study was to explore and describe individual principals' experiences of ethical decision-making in a complex era. I presumed that most school principals would have a vivid menory of an experience when they were forced to make a "tough decision" - one that challenged them to take a position in spite of competing and deeply felt moral values. Ethical dliemma, in this case, was the term used to describe an event which calls for a decision to be made when moral values or ethical principles were in conflict. I was interested to know how they encountered this dilemma, what they thought and how they felt about it, what values they brought to bear, what advice they sought and from whom, how they resolved the dilemma, and what effect the experience had on their own leadership. --Abstract