Women's leadership development and empowerment have been called the most pressing issue of the 21st century, yet in 30 years of leadership development programs for women, the results have been negligible. Current research reflects the barriers to achievement, as opposed to the possibilities for success, which can only be determined by investigating and documenting alternative approaches and environments. The transition from individual to leader implies an identity shift, but leadership is not an individual activity. Gender roles are a social construction, therefore, women-only leadership programs that employ the characteristics of a Community of Practice (CoP) have the potential to foster learning in a majority environment and to develop a strong network of peer support that extends beyond the program. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to observe and explain environmental interventions of a CoP on women's leadership identity development and determine whether it is an actionable framework for designing and delivering leadership programs for women. The research consisted of a single case study to contribute to theory about women's-only leadership development and converged that research with existing theory about CoPs. Participants were selected from alumni of the World Academy for the Future of Women (WAFW) at Sias University in Xinzheng, Henan, China. The researcher investigated and answered the research questions, demonstrating that (a) a women-only environment contributed to building confidence and provided a safe environment for learning and exploration; (b) the WAFW CoP was a significant source of identity shift and has had an ongoing impact on members; and (c) the combination of women-only leadership development and the WAFW community of practice influenced the development of a leadership identity. Recommendations for future research include expanding the study to (1) include interviews with the WAFW facilitators to drill down on the specific impacts of a women-only environment; (2) to study the Men's Academy for the Future of Women to explore the same identity development and CoP questions; (3) to establish a control group of non-WAFW, Sias students to facilitate quantitative study; and, (4) to execute a study at the new WAFW program in Nepal to demonstrate replicability and external validity. [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://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]