ABSTRACT SENSEMAKING AND DECISION-MAKING BY INDEPENDENT SCHOOL LEADERS OF COLOR IN ADDRESSING MARGINALIZATION, DYSFUNCTIONAL TEAMS, AND THEIR IMPLICATIONS ON SELF-EFFICACY Haruka MoriZachary Herrmann Independent elementary and secondary schools, like many organizations, rely on leadership teams to make critical decisions that shape their communities. While research on team function and effectiveness is extensive, independent schools have received limited attention in this regard, despite the significant impact leaders have on budgets, hiring, curriculum, and initiatives. Unlike corporate teams, independent school leadership teams typically consist of administrators with distinct roles and responsibilities that rarely overlap. Leaders of color, in particular, may be sensitive to marginalization within these predominantly white institutions (PWIs) where they remain underrepresented. According to the National Association of Independent Schools, employees of color only make up about a quarter of faculty and staff despite diversification efforts. Understanding the complexities of interpersonal relationships within leadership teams, particularly for leaders of color, requires centering individual agency. Organizational theories often overlook how leaders of color experience and navigate their roles within PWIs, where leadership teams are inherently dynamic and shaped by social and political power structures, positionality, and internal hierarchies. Despite these challenges, leaders of color demonstrate resilience and agency in shaping their experiences and influencing team dynamics. This study applies racialized organization theory and interactional justice theory to examine how independent school leaders of color navigate marginalization, team dysfunction, and their self-beliefs through the lens of self-efficacy theory. Through qualitative research, this dissertation explores the experiences of 15 leaders of color, analyzing how they make decisions, find meaning, and continue to strengthen their leadership identities within PWIs.