Abstract: This study examined the leadership identity development of a sample of leaders in order to better understand leaders’ perceptions about what contributed to the development of their leadership identities. Using in- depth interview questions, the lived experiences of organizational leaders were explored so as to build on the limited existing research on leadership identity and offer further insight into the phenomenon of leadership identity formation. The results of this study revealed that the study participants had each experienced leadership within multiple social and organizational contexts. Based on the responses of study participants, the acceptance of their leadership identities was influenced, in part, by the leaders to whom they had been exposed and by the social contexts in which their leadership experiences took place. The participants in this study began to identify themselves as leaders while working within the context of organizations that provided opportunities for leadership, collaboration, and mentorship from experienced leaders.