ABSTRACT
Latina higher education administrators, from department chair to president, are an anomaly. With some deliberateness, it has been possible to identify a few mujeres Latinas lideres and learn about how they have thrived and transcended spaces as the “first” woman or Latina administrator in the academy. Indeed there are war stories because the women have been targets of marginalization, discrimination, and microaggressions, yet they are changemakers. An appreciative inquiry approach is taken with this chapter to learn from eight Latina leaders in predominantly white institutions about attributes that have contributed to successes. Through a questionnaire, the women provided narratives about their mind-set as leaders, management of adversity including sabotage and microaggressions, the role of their cultural heritage as an influence and anchor, most and least satisfying experiences as an administrative leader, and recommendations for persistence. The analysis of the narratives suggests that the women apply emotional intelligence and resonant leadership practices. Culture-specific concepts such as the borderlands and nepantlera are also enacted.
