Barriers to Power: Exploring the Troubled Trajectories of Latinx Executive Leaders at Hispanic-Serving Institutions

Guided by Bornstein’s (2003) model focused on legitimacy within leadership and Latinx critical theory (LatCrit), we explored barriers Latinx leaders encounter on their path to executive roles at Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) and how their race and gender shaped their professional trajectories. Our findings show that some Latinx leaders may feel the need to conform to white-coded institutional practices to secure and succeed in their roles and that raced and gendered practices may permeate their work, including their hiring. Additionally, participants encountered intragroup animosity or competitiveness within the Latinx community, impending and/or complicating their professional experiences and growth. Collectively, the findings encourage HSIs to (a) develop professional development opportunities for Latinxs administrators and (b) actively support their ascension to and experience in executive leadership. The findings also provide insight on how higher education institutions, more broadly, need to consider racial and gender dynamics as part of the ongoing call for leadership transformation.