The development of carbon-based oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts to substitute the expensive and unstable platinum-based ORR catalysts is of great importance for their optimal utilization in energy conversion and storage. Here, Zn, N codoped carbon with leaf-shaped was prepared using leaf-shaped Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework (ZIF-L) as precursor via thermal annealing under NH3. As a result, the as-synthesized Zn-N-C presents outstanding ORR onset-potential (0.95 V), half-wave potential (0.80 V), and diffusion limiting current density (5.57 mA?cm-2), that is similar to that at commercial Pt/C catalyst in alkaline electrolyte.