This policy brief from the National Association of State Boards of Education builds on research on effective leadership in the wake of a crisis. Using COVID-19 as a jumping-off point, the brief describes ways policy leaders may better support a “healthy” policy ecosystem for developing effective leaders. Specifically, policy leaders should evaluate how principal pipelines are being supported across leader standards, preservice preparation, hiring and placement, evaluation and support, principal supervisors, leader tracking systems, and systems of support. Crisis management is not typically included in preservice coursework and training; the report recommends leadership preparation programs, state leaders, and district leaders have roles in ensuring that more candidates develop skills related to crisis management, including the ability to cope with stress and make decisions in critical time frames. This resource will be most helpful for leader preparation program administrators and district officials.