The research program in this paper describes 18 months of intensive activity with school principals and Indigenous Leadership Partners to assist them in learning how to direct their efforts with teachers, parents and others to improve reading. The program was supported by six Leadership Mentors.These mentors were principals with knowledge and practical involvement with the types of schools and communities participating in the PALLIC project. Their main role was to help each of the schools complete the modules’ follow up tasks.The general research aim of PALLIC was to document the impact and effects of each school's leadership team's actions in implementing the required follow up reading improvement tasks. Data sources included the principals’ personal leadership profiles, surveys for Principals, Teachers, Leadership Mentors and Indigenous Leadership Partners and case studies from 7 schools (involving site visits by 2 researchers accompanied by the Leadership Mentors) and an analysis of reading action plan reports from each school. I draw upon data from one of these case study schools to highlight the impact and effects of attempts to implement leadership for reading ‘both ways’. I interrogate what it means for a school to engage in ‘both ways’ leadership and create a new intercultural space where both cultures (home and school) are linked, listening and learning from each other. The rationale for ‘both ways’ leadership is that leadership for student achievement in schools with high Indigenous enrolments must connect with and include parents and community members in decisions about their children’s learning. This is not only about informing parents about what they can do to help their children but rather recognising that teachers and parents have wisdom and knowledge they can share with one another for the benefit of student learning.