Six major themes emerged from this research: effective leadership strategies: earning
your place at the table; tests and trials; maintaining focus and political savvy; numbers matter: the rules change; gender as a two-edged sword; and competing as a woman: prepared
and ready. The results revealed that to succeed as top-level executives, women must
constantly overachieve, maintain good relationships with others, hold onto personal and
institutional values to do the right things, expand themselves constantly, and utilize strong
mentors’ assistance as well as sponsorship. When faced with implicit and explicit challenges
such as unequal treatment, gender bias, resistance, political joggling, or personal struggles,
they rely on private confrontation, emotional intelligence, and tenacity, as well as all possible
support and resources to survive and thrive.