The Sanders Effect: Disruptive Leadership and Its Implications at Jackson State University

The purpose of this qualitative intrinsic case study was to explore how Deion Sanders’s leadership style influenced Jackson State University (JSU) and to examine the potential for disruptive leadership to drive change in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) sports settings. Disruptive leadership is an emerging concept in leadership literature and has been underexplored, particularly in addressing the systemic challenges historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) face. These challenges include underfunding, limited resources, and reduced visibility. Sanders’s appointment at JSU provided a transformative example of disruptive leadership, resulting in significant institutional and cultural shifts. This study employed multiple data collection methods, including in-depth interviews with individuals who directly interacted with Sanders, such as student-athletes, coaches, administrative staff, alumni, and community members. Content analysis of media and institutional reports supplemented these interviews. The researcher analyzed the data using thematic analysis to identify eight key themes that characterized Sanders’s leadership: faith-driven leadership, raising standards, discipline, innovation, community engagement, visibility, legacy building, and emotional and professional disruption. These findings illustrated how Sanders’s Christian faith influenced his leadership philosophy, shaped his decision-making processes, and catalyzed systemic change at JSU. By situating Sanders’s leadership within a theoretical framework integrating servant, authentic, and transformational leadership theories, this research contributes to understanding the practical applications of disruptive leadership in collegiate athletics. The insights offer a framework for under-resourced institutions, particularly HBCUs, to leverage innovative leadership to overcome systemic barriers and achieve sustainable growth.