Robinson, Lesley Jacobs, authorDonovan, Jody, advisorAlbert, Lumina, committee memberAnderson, Sharon, committee memberJennings, Louise, committee member2024-09-092024-09-092024https://hdl.handle.net/10217/239224This autoethnographic dissertation explores the researcher's evolution into becoming an entrepreneurial leader, emphasizing the development of an entrepreneurial mindset within the cultural context of higher education. The study's research question explores how the researcher has come to understand herself as an entrepreneurial leader through her identities. The study defines an entrepreneurial leader as someone who empowers others to act, solve problems, navigate uncertainties, embrace ambiguities, and take risks with greater confidence while understanding underlying motivations through identities, strengths, and values. The research advocates for a founder-centric approach to bridge the gap in the literature between methodologies that concentrate on founders and those that focus on start-ups to deepen our understanding of the developmental processes involved in incorporating entrepreneurial leadership traits. This approach sets the entrepreneurial mindset apart from conventional managerial approaches by highlighting purpose-driven ventures that incorporate impact. The study examines the researcher's experiences as a woman in higher education, incorporating gender theory and feminist perspectives to promote inclusivity. Employing an autoethnographic framework, the researcher blends personal narratives with broader cultural contexts, emphasizing the importance of leaders adopting an entrepreneurial mindset to make impactful contributions to the world by actively pursuing personal growth through self-reflection, cultivating self-awareness, and fostering self-acceptance.born digitaldoctoral dissertationsengCopyright and other restrictions may apply. User is responsible for compliance with all applicable laws. For information about copyright law, please see https://libguides.colostate.edu/copyright.entrepreneurial leadershipentrepreneurshipwomen in entrepreneurshipentrepreneurial mindsetautoethnographyleadershipText