The purpose of the study was to promote empirical research in schools in vulnerable contexts, in order to make visible the critical qualities of leadership and its effects, in three main aspects: student learning, people's and organization's development, and the interaction with the internal and external environment. The methodology used was the case study, in a private secondary school located in a context of high marginality, in the outskirts of Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, located on the border between Mexico and the United States. Interviews and focus groups were used with teaching and non-teaching staff, students, managers and parents. The findings suggest that, from the perspective of the actors involved, executive leadership has a high impact on the development of people and the organization, as well as on student learning. Some of the features that characterize this leadership are: the cohesion of the teaching team around a vision; the systematicity of organizational processes; teacher professional development through accompaniment, supervision and formal training processes; and the care and attention to people.