Theses and Dissertations Collection

The ascension of women into executive level leadership exists, and research is critical to reveal the experiences, paths, choices, and successes from the perspective of the leaders themselves. The purpose of this study was to explore perspectives of women currently employed in executive level leadership and who had therefore successfully navigated the challenges, to gain insight into how career advancement took place, in particular, examining women working in the area of higher education student services. The study used a qualitative multiple case study approach, using multiple sources of information, which allowed for a triangulation of data and in-depth immersion into each case. The data provided a rich array of information examining the lives and institutions where each of the women worked throughout their careers. First, participants did not ascend the traditional ladder to their vice president/chancellor without movement to multiple universities. Second, when it comes to leadership style participants expressed their preference was to be true to themselves, empower others, stay student-centered, and continue to learn. Third, participants spent their careers working through the internal dialogue that occurs alongside their leadership decisions. The implication of the current study showed women can penetrate the glass ceiling and move into leadership positions, but it does require the alignment of many factors in order to reach the executive level suite.