Higher education in the United States has a unique opportunity to educate students to practice leadership to address complex problems. A limited number of universities bear the label "elite" as a result of highly selective admissions criteria, cost, age, and position in popular national rankings. Additional scrutiny of these institutions leads to questions about the nature of "leadership" taught implicitly and explicitly to students. For these institutions, explicitly incorporating values into the underlying model of student leadership development may address concerns about the individually-enriching privilege conferred on those who attend an "elite" institution. Deeper understanding about the ways that students conceptualize themselves as leaders and practitioners of leadership can further this objective. It is in this context that this thesis seeks to explore the process of student leadership identity development for students attending an "elite" university. This grounded theory research study examines the ways in which traditionally-aged undergraduate students at Georgetown University develop a leadership identity. The Leadership Identity Development (LID) theory and model proposed by Komives, Longerbeam, Owen, Mainella and Osteen in 2005 and 2006 provides a framework to understand the ways in which students develop a leadership identity grounded in a construction of leadership as "relational," or empowering, ethical, inclusive, purposeful and process-oriented (Komives, Lucas and McMahon 2013). At the heart of the model is a shift from role-centric to process-centric understanding of leadership and an expanding capacity to understand oneself in relationship to others in the practice of leadership. This study was crafted through narrative analysis and grounded theory construction based on interviews conducted with ten students identified to be practicing relational, values-based leadership at Georgetown University. From this inquiry three major findings emerge. First, social location and social identities matter to those who hold leader roles and progress towards understanding themselves as practicing leadership with others. Second, the LID theory and model is a useful framework for understanding leadership identity development in this population of students; multiple stages and all five categories were represented in student responses. Finally, students in Stage Three, Leader Identified modes of thinking describe their view of self in relation to others in achievement-oriented terms. This orientation was conceptualized as a filter that students may apply to their view and recounting of leadership experience. More inquiry into this condition is needed to determine if this filter is detectable in all stages or in all categories. Limitations to the study and suggestions for future research are included. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]