You MUST Lead!: The 4-Part System to High-Performing Schools Hardcover – October 8, 2025

Most school leaders are working hard... but at the wrong things.In You MUST Lead!, Steven Jones, CEO of LIFT Education and founding principal of KIPP Vision Academy, offers a bold, clear framework to help school leaders stop surviving and start truly leading.This isn’t just another book of theory or educational jargon. You MUST Lead! is a practical, proven roadmap grounded in real school transformation. At KIPP Vision Academy, that transformation meant leading the school into the top 10 percent of all Title I schools in Georgia for student achievement growth three years in a row.Using the MUST framework (Me. Us. Systems. Teachers.), Steven shows you how to reclaim your role as the instructional leader of your building, build teams that actually execute, install systems that support excellence, and coach teachers to deliver rigorous instruction that gets results.Whether you are a principal, assistant principal, instructional coach, or district leader, this book will help you:Stop reacting to distractions and start leading with purposeSpend 85 percent of your time where it matters most: teaching and learningTransform frustrated, disorganized schools into efficient, high-achieving campusesYou don’t need another certification or program. You need to focus on what matters most.You MUST Lead! is the leadership playbook every committed educator has been waiting for. Read more