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According to Aristotle’s instructions, virtues must be developed: “Moreover, the
faculties given us by nature are bestowed on us first in a potential form; we exhibit
their actual exercise afterwards” (1103a14-b8). Mizzoni formulated this chain of
development as shown in Figure 4.

Figure 4
Mizzoni’s Development of Virtues

Note. Mizzoni, 2010, p. 27.
Helping
My original starting point for my dissertation was the question: “Who help(s)
the principal?” Results from those surveyed indicated an emphasis on helping as
a critical value and virtue. Besides principals, some other informants identified as
helpers or as those being helped.

Principals—Asking for Help
Several colleagues agreed with a female principal’s opinion: “You need a lot
of help…you should never pretend you can manage on your own.” Although she
revealed that she might be “the helper number one” in the sense of setting her own
limits on time and work, her practical helpers were her colleagues in the city and,
especially, a network of female colleagues around Finland. Only 2 (male) principals
out of 11 did not regard other principals as their professional helpers: One of them
gave that role to the whole staff of his small school and admitted that he had not
needed any “official” help.
As for more informal helpers (outside work), important roles were given to the
principal’s family or spouse or spending free time with colleagues and friends.
• My husband never loses patience with me, he keeps on listening, all the way
through our sauna sessions!
• Nobody helps me—except maybe my wife—and even she’s fed up with all
this messing about with schools…

Principals’ Help to Teachers
A few answers provide examples of help given to teachers by principals:
• Collaboration with homes, quarrels and bullying, extreme difficulties with
students that I would not be able to deal with myself; conflict situations
among colleagues and trying to solve them…I’ve received help so far.
• Practical arrangements…carrying out project ideas…even learning how to

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