There is no universally accepted definition of what it means to be an effective leader. Individuals understand leadership differently based on their own identities and lived experiences. The purpose of this investigation is to determine how one's ethnicity, class, and gender identities influence their understanding of effective leadership, focusing specifically on gifted and talented eleventh and twelfth grade high school students at residential academies in the United States. The results show that there is a significant relationship between one's race/ethnic and class background and their understanding of what it means to be an effective leader. From this, we argue that gifted and talented students are able to develop a greater understanding of how to be an effective leader in their communities, high schools, and workforce by participating in leadership education programs that take advantage of the multiple perspectives on leadership present in their own school.