Few studies exist regarding the factors and career paths that might be of value to African American females seeking an executive leadership position in a postsecondary institution. Using a qualitative phenomenological method, the essence of the experience of becoming a leader in postsecondary institutions was captured through face-to-face, semi-structured interviews of 10 African American women who are at the executive leadership level within a Georgia postsecondary institution. Ten distinct themes emerged, including (a) lack of African American representation in postsecondary institutions, (b) lack of African American mentors, (c) influence of upbringing, (d) mentoring, (e) work-life balance struggles, (f) networking, (g) the role a manager played in their career advancement, (h) the need to take risk, (i) strong work ethic, and (j) the importance of leaving a legacy. The identification of life experiences, career development, and accession factors for African American females might provide leaders with information needed for leadership development, mentoring programs, and accession strategies, which might add new knowledge to the literature. [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.]