There is a gap in the literature regarding how minority leaders in higher education use their cultural values and beliefs to develop their leadership style and successfully advance in their higher education leadership career. The purpose of this qualitative study was to develop a better understanding of how a minority individual's cultural identity in terms of race, ethnicity, and gender influences the development of leadership beliefs and values. Furthermore, this study sought to examine how the beliefs and values of minority leaders transfer to the development of leadership styles used for successful organizational management and career advancement in higher education. Through in-depth interviews, participants shared their experiences and perspectives on leadership as minority leaders in higher education. Using a generic qualitative approach, this study examined the participants' responses using social identity theory as the framework for this study. Twenty themes emerged from the analysis of the participants' coded responses. These themes revealed that most of the participants experienced some type of racial, ethnic, or gender-related challenge in their career. Critical findings centered around the importance for minority leaders of confidence, transparency, decorum, respect, competency, and trust between colleagues. Participants also emphasized the importance of displaying compassion, empathy and caring, respect, and transparency in the workplace. Finally, concerning minority leadership advancement specifically, they indicated the importance of networking, mentorship, barriers due to minority identity, and race and gender influences. Based on the findings in this study, higher education institutions ideally would implement mentorship programs for minority leaders where mentors and mentees can openly share professional relationships to build upon skill sets and successfully navigate a career 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.]