Abstract
The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to explore the experiences of directors of mentoring programs that target African American men at a large, urban, multi-site campus on the East Coast. Fifteen directors of targeted mentoring programs were interviewed to elicit their lived-experiences with the phenomenon of leading African American males. Interviews with study participants revealed common themes in the leadership styles of these directors. One theme identified through the interviews is the need for leaders of mentoring programs targeting African American men to understand their role as a leader. Another theme was that directors needed to understand how they motivated students toward success. The subthemes of student engagement; meeting students in the moment, being an authentic leader, serving as a role model, and building community, emerged out of both above themes. Implications for leaders of targeted mentoring programs include the need for directors to be aware of their leadership skills to enhance program outcomes, the need for institutions to provide appropriate resources for targeted mentoring programs such as leadership development, and the need to develop resources to address the realities of racial disparities. Mentoring directors must be sensitive to the needs of African American males, and encourage staff to meet those specific needs. Leaders of targeted mentoring programs must continuously promote the importance of the role that mentoring programs has in higher education. Finally, institutional leaders must work to enhance institutional resources to address the needs of African American males in higher education. |Keywords: African American Males, Mentoring, Education, Leadership, Leadership Styles