Current research suggests higher education non-academic personnel staff need more opportunities to advance into leadership. This represents a lost opportunity as they often represent a vital but unheard voice in university settings and may be exacerbated on campuses that bear the R1 designation. One possible opportunity to address this may be through Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) -- which have witnessed expansion at universities over the past three decades -- as they offer volunteer opportunities to lead efforts on campus. While this may be the case, there is a paucity of research on the outcomes of these experiences and volunteer leadership in general. Using the phenomenological approach to qualitative research, this study examined the lived experience of staff members who held senior leadership roles in Black-servicing ERGs in a R1 designated university setting for at least eleven months. Semi-structured interviews were held with 17 participants from 11 higher education institutions. The data analysis revealed that participants received experiential leadership development that resulted in improved communication skills, relationship building, and soft skills. In addition, the experience resulted in a changed understanding of individual leadership presence, recognition of leadership characteristics internally and by campus colleagues, and increased opportunities for service. Additional findings and recommendations to fully leverage the ERG leadership experience in a campus setting are shared. [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.]