This study sought to understand how cybersecurity professionals in technical U.S. Federal Government (USFG) positions transition into first-time cybersecurity leader roles. The study also sought to explore which leadership competencies were used/developed in this transition and how those leaders gained the knowledge and skills to perform their duties. The study used a transformational leadership framework, a point-based quantitative selection survey, and semi-structured interviews. This study's findings suggest that USFG cybersecurity organizations should invest in both aspiring leader training and first-time leader training that teaches learners to create their own team cultures of challenge and support. The key findings to accomplish this are learning a personalized process of self-reflection, gaining humility without sacrificing confidence, and a willingness to invest the time needed to build trust on a personal level with followers. The starting place is through growing a first-time leader's self-awareness to get them past expected feelings of embarrassment and discomfort. [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.]