Higher Education and Women in Leadership: Gender-Based Training for African American Women in Transformational Leadership

Christian African American women in leadership have unique lived experiences. Although God calls women to lead, they often meet challenges in ministry and the marketplace. Developing into a great woman in leadership requires intentionality and preparation. This study explored the perceptions and perspectives of Christian African American women in senior leadership roles in ministry and wider corporate America. The qualitative research revealed the need to address gender and racial issues in higher education, develop gender-based training, and further transformational leadership development. The research design utilized interviews with ten open-ended questions to collect data. The study focused on Christian African American women with a minimum of two years in senior leadership and a presence on social media relating to ministry or the marketplace. The study explored a Christian perspective on leadership, women in leadership, the importance of transformational leadership, and gender-based leadership training. This phenomenological study uncovered the importance of a transformational leadership style and gender-based leadership training for female Christian African American leaders. At this stage, transformational leadership is defined as a leadership style focused on motivation, vision, and team development, maximizing individual potential (Bin Bakr & Alfayez, 2021, p. 1807). The findings revealed that Christian African American women in leadership can thrive and overcome challenges through training, faith, community, internal leadership qualities, and more.