<p>You really want to know how a high-schooler demonstrates the capacity for leadership?</p>
<p>Runs the school paper. Captains a team. Organizes a service project. Founds a debate team. Starts the dance club and teaches the dance class. Real clubs are not nothing.</p>
<p>Starts a business. Volunteers every summer to teach kids from less-advantaged backgrounds.</p>
<p>Speaks out in class with an unpopular but well-founded argument. Becomes the group designated driver and does a project interviewing local police departments on teen drinking and driving and how to alleviate the problem.</p>
<p>Refuses to give in to peer pressure and develops a visible group of friends who influence an entire school to change behaviors.</p>
<p>Befriends an outcast. When you are the popular girl, admit you are a lesbian and campaign for diversity.</p>
<p>I could go on. Leadership is a real trait. Personally, I value someone of high intelligence who has the courage and character to lead as much as someone of extremely high intelligence who sits in a corner and analyzes events correctly. If we don't have leaders how do those of intelligence who don't have leadership characteristics have any impact?</p>
<p>And it's just not true that all highly intelligent people are leaders.</p>