Since little research on gender and special education leadership exists, the purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to understand the leadership experiences of eight women leaders of special education from diverse backgrounds. This study expanded the depth of research by including women administrators of special education building on previous scholarship that focused on K-12 educational leadership and the sex of superintendents and principals. The leadership experiences for the women administrators of special education in this study were understood as: (1) instructional; (2) activism; (3) political; (4) balance; and (5) collaborative-relational. A dynamic collaborative-relationship leadership model central to women leadership in special education is proposed based on the findings from this study.