This study, which was sponsored by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, was conducted in French-language minority schools in seven Canadian provinces: British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia. Using an open-ended interview guide, 47 principals were asked about the tensions and possibilities relating to ethical leadership  in linguistic minority contexts. Results show how the presence of an ethic of critique is strongly rooted in a context of struggle for the protection of a French-speaking identity as well as linguistic and cultural survival. Participants' number of years experience as school principals significantly influences their ethical posture. New school principals use only one ethic, the ethic of justice, whereas seasoned principals use a consolidated ethical framework which includes the ethic of care and the ethic of critique. An emerging professional ethic is also observed, built both on each person's ethical nature and his or her life experience. Most importantly, this type of professionalism, very much nurtured by relationships, is auto-regulated rather than externally regulated, as with a deontology code. (Contains 4 figures, 2 tables, and 4 notes.)