Leadership of Woman President in the Philippine State Universities and Colleges

Abstract

Leadership is the act of a leading group of people and an organization. This phenomenological study aimed to describe and narrate the leadership journey of a woman president of the State Universities and Colleges in the Philippines. An in-depth interview was conducted to describe and narrate the leadership journey and experiences of the women university president using narrative data analysis to create a story of the leadership journey of the women president. The results of the study revealed that the woman presidents were destined to be a leader because their leadership starts from the grassroots to the top management position. As president, their position is unpredicted but destined. They win the trust and respect of their subordinates being transformative leaders. They encountered challenges in institutional status, people, and infrastructure. Strong personalities and determination as transparent leaders made them win the trust and respect of their people. They promote equality and equity, and their decision is collaborative. At the end of their storyline, they want to be remembered as simple and humble presidents that make sound leadership and significant changes to the people and the university. A new model of women’s leadership was developed out of their storyline. This model describes them as women who provide Love, Equity, Action, Direction, Empowerment, and Reform because they were indeed woman leaders. Keywords: Woman leadership, State Universities, and Colleges, Phenomenological Study, Narrative Analysis, Philippines