Though women make up the majority of community college students, faculty and staff, only 36% of community college presidents nationwide are female. With a significant number of presidential retirements on the horizon, there could be many opportunities for women in line for a community college presidency to take the next step along their career paths. This study was designed to explore how women in senior-level community college administration have acquired the American Association of Community Colleges leadership competencies throughout their careers and what other influences had impacted their career development. A qualitative, phenomenological design was chosen, and results were examined through the systems theory framework of career development. Interviews with 12 women serving in senior-level administration at community colleges throughout one Midwestern state were conducted. Through the process of reduction, five common themes emerged from the experiences of participants: (a) of the five AACC leadership competencies, communication was most significant; (b) relationships matter; (c) women lead differently; (d) perceived realities of the presidency are not appealing to women leaders, and; (e) the existence of a superwoman complex. These findings were consistent with previous research relating to women in leadership, particularly those women in higher education leadership. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]