Although African American leaders have had to overcome many obstacles throughout history, all of the injustices and obstacles Colin Powell faced did not hinder him from becoming a successful military and political leader. The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe the perceptions and attitudes of African American and Caucasian business leaders to gain an understanding of how or if Colin Powell achieved a unique appeal across racial barriers. Using a purposeful sample, the voices of 5 African American and 5 Caucasian business leaders participated in a semi-structured interview process that gleaned their lived experiences, as their voices detailed their perceptions of Colin Powell. The first phase of the data analysis implemented the techniques prescribed by Moustakas' modification of the Stevick-Colaizzi-Keen method of analysis of phenomenological research. The participants' interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim by the researcher. The second phase involved organizing, analyzing, and synthesizing the data into clusters and emerging themes.

The researcher accomplished this through the Qualitative Solutions & Research (QSR), Nvivo 8, a software program that is used to organize and analyze qualitative data. A coding process was used in Nvivo 8 that organized the data into significant statements and meaning units, resulting in the essence of the experience. As the researcher read the transcripts multiple times; themes were annotated in the margins as short phrases, ideas, reflective notes, or key concepts that occurred.

The findings resulted in 16 themes that emerged from the study. The overall perception was that Colin Powell transcended racial barriers and was a leader identified not by a racial descriptor but his accomplishments in the military and politics. The implications are for leaders to choose not to be defined by their race, per say, but by achieving success, either in spite of or irrespective of racial barriers.

The researcher recognizes additional research that can be expanded from this study that would add richness and more insight. Another study recommendation would be a comparison of strategies that Colin Powell and Barack Obama embraced that fostered their remarkable accomplishments and success with regard to breaking racial barriers.