I am taking 6 months to prepare my Army officer application. Any advice on where I can volunteer to find mentors and prepare for leadership?

Make sure what ever you choose, you've done as much book research into, and if possible talk to actual members of that branch both officer and enlisted. What would seem sexy one day isn't so sexy in real life. Make sure whatever you choose is transferable to the civilian world. If you do your due diligence beforehand, narrow your choices to where you are happy no matter what branch you're given, you cannot loose. MI and Signal are two really good choices where you can see immediate results of your decisions (let a network go down....you'll see REAL quick), and should you decide not to make a career out of this, you will not have any issues on the outside world.

Give it your all, nothing less, and kick ass.

SSG Warren Swan - Great response Warren - right on!

SSG Warren Swan - that is true he is right since you get all these certifications or Microsoft and other computer companies that is definitely transferable to the civilian sector.

SSG Warren Swan - that is great advice. My background is in Business Analysis, this is where I had to force leaders to give clear requirements and understand the limits of their resources, and then I pushed IT technicians to either meet those requirements or speak in natural language what roadblocks they were having to meet those requirements. With a little studying I could drill down into specific computer certifications but I don't know if I would find the career path satisfying. I'm 30 years old, no kids, never been married. In this season I feel nurturing Occupational Therapist sounds great but my degree is Management Information Systems. My challenge is how do I take this Business degree and turn it into something nurturing, this is where I thought about becoming an Officer.

MSG (Join to see) - LMAO - Roger that!

Good answer to the question but I would like to contest your supposition. Saying leadership is innate is like saying musical ability is innate. That insults the hours and hours every musician works in the practice room to develop and hone their skill. Likewise, it depreciates the hard work every leader has put into crafting his ability to lead. Leadership is a skill and it can be developed.
Yes, it comes much easier to some than others but no one is beyond the ability to develop leadership with the proper investment in time and growth of character.

1LT Matthew Robles - Sir, I have been at this game a very long time. Almost 19 years, to be exact. And in that time, I have seen many NCO come and go, I have seen many PLs, XOs, PSGs, COs (Company, BN, BDE, DIV, etc.). And there is one thing that is constant. There are some that have that natural ability to lead and those that don't. Yes, there have been those that have the basic ability within them but just needed some fine tuning. And then there were those that, no matter what, wanted to use their position and rank to harass, bully, and push their way of thinking simply based off their rank and position. Try and try as their Raters and Mentors did, those bad eggs would not or could not see the light of day. For example, I had a company commander, once, that felt/believed/lived the idea that if you did not outrank him, you were simply a bump in his road to getting higher rank and position. He was sent to us as a CPT(P) from Hood. He was sent to us because his last command, he was so bad to the troops that (and I certainly to NOT agree with their methods) he had received anonymous death threats. His own POV was set on fire. When he came to my unit, he was an extremely bad micromanager. During his tenure as our commander, his parking spot sign, both from the motorpool and the orderly room was stolen (post and all) on multiple occasions. We, somehow or another, ran out of unit funds for parts, POL, and equipment for our vehicles, but somehow or another, there was funds to get him a very nice oak desk for his office, a very nice leather chair for his office, and very nice leather seats for him and his drive in their HWMMV. This man CIRCLE Xd my M113 for a bad road arm and then chewed my TC a new 6 because we were pumping grease into it one morning. There are many other situations with this CO that my unit had, but I will stop with just these examples. I have had almost similar situations with NCOs and other Officers in my almost 19 years. THIS is why I say that some have it, and some don't. Even if those that have it, and it is just a small portion, they still have it. You used a musician as an example. I can't play a musical note to save my life. I've tried to learn. It never happened. It never will happen. Leadership. It is there, or it is not there. The only grey area is where someone has that spark of leadership. Damn near every person that has served in a line unit will tell you damn near the exact same thing.

SSG Livingston, excellent examples but I would like to point out that the sole problem regarding the CPT you were speaking about was his character. To address his leadership ability you must first address his character which evident in your example showed to be lacking. Unfortunately character change is immensely difficult which is why it seems as though leadership is either something that is or isn't there. While the techniques are there to learn the desire to change has to come from the leader, not his mentors, his raters or senior raters.

My civilian background is in music. I have yet to meet a hearing person I could not advance in their musical ability. The largest issue with learning music is having the fortitude to stick with it. And just like with character/leadership, you have to possess the desire, will, and commitment to develop.

Great advice SGT Ben Keen!