The purpose of this qualitative narrative analysis was to understand how individual and environmental factors shape women's interest in seeking higher-level leadership positions within Canada. A need to understand the individual and environmental barriers that influence female academic physicians' lack of advancement beyond middle management was identified. The research question was, "How have individual and environmental factors shaped women's interest in seeking higher-level academic positions?" Nine female physicians were selected from the faculties of medicine and dentistry at universities across Canada. Participants' experiences were understood and organized using Bronfenbrenner's (1992) ecological systems theory. Applying the nested layers within Bronfenbrenner's theory to understand the research question and participant interview responses, participant narratives were explained using an ecomap, which is a visual representation of the influences for each participant. The qualitative narrative inquiry used semi-structured interviews and inductive narrative analysis via NVivo coding. Three themes arose related to the research question: (a) experiences as a woman (gender differences in academia and influencing factors), (b) experiences in academia (beliefs, interest, and familiarity with their choices), and (c) leadership experiences (influences on participants' pursuit and attainment of a leadership role). Participants shared their experiences of why they chose not to follow a leadership trajectory. Conclusions revealed that individuals and institutions could implement changes to foster women's continued interest to succeed in their leadership trajectories. [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://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]