This qualitative study aimed to explore the journeys of women to executive leadership roles in higher education. It used a phenomenological approach to examine the lived experiences of women currently working in higher education at 4-year institutions. Participants were recruited using a LinkedIn search and the experiences of five women, all currently working in a leadership position within a higher education institution in the United States of America, participated in virtual interviews that were transcribed and analyzed for the development of themes. Using in-depth, untimed, semistructured interviews, participants reflected on their journeys, experiences, and perceptions. In highlighting their experiences, the researcher sought to identify ways in which they were able to maintain their leadership positions. The analysis produced themes that were consistent with the literature. Study participants revealed the importance of representation, understanding the landscape, identifying opportunities to create high quality work environments, skills and abilities that are sustainable, and the power in resilience. Participants' recollections underscored the need for more awareness of the real-life experiences that women have when rising to executive leadership positions in higher education. The themes generated from the interviews confirmed these qualitative results. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]