Perceptions of Career Advancement of Women in Leadership Positions

The qualitative phenomenological study explored how female leaders perceived advancement into senior leadership positions in academia. Twenty women were selected using Moustakas’s modified van Kaam Method. Each interview was transcribed and data analyzed using research software. Eight themes emerged. The themes centered on experience education communication collaboration mentoring thick skin leading to the essence of the experience of the phenomenon. The implication for leadership was to find strategies for women attempting to move into senior leadership.