This research explores a personal aspect of leadership: the self-leadership of Chinese women doctoral students in the U.S. This dissertation reviews current dilemmas of feminist and leadership studies and adopts a constructivist grounded theory approach to examine how Chinese women doctoral students have gone through their doctoral journey in the U.S. Through their journey, they have been transformed from intimidated Chinese girls to become international women leaders in their fields. By critically examining and integrating both Chinese and U.S. cultures, this study reveals how Chinese women doctoral students in the U.S. face a double portion of challenges and wisdom from the two patriarchal cultures. Through a transdisciplinary lens, participants' challenges and solutions during their doctoral journeys are examined from both Western and Chinese intellectual systems. The results of this research may inspire women, marginalized individuals, and researchers to think beyond the modern knowledge system through the Western Enlightenment tradition. Insights from this study reveal how a woman can succeed in a complex and ever-changing world, which is both a social science problem, and a philosophy and ethics problem. [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.]