Eleven of the 81 public research universities within the Carnegie Classification of Doctoral Universities: Highest Research are led by woman presidents. Using Eagly & Carli's (2007) labyrinth framework, five of the women presidents were interviewed to identify their experiences navigating leadership barriers. Findings indicated that women university presidents demonstrate expertise in three areas: Know the Rules, Hear the Message, and Opt-in. The findings of the narrative study indicate how women university presidents moved through and around organizational barriers to successfully reach the top.