What is Leadership?

Leadership is a familiar term found in most walks of life such as business, politics, armed forces, sport, religion and communities. Familiarity with a word can sometimes cause us to lose sight of its meaning, so what is leadership? Let’s look at a fundamental definition.

Directing others towards a group objective

Ask a hundred people ‘what is leadership?’ and you will receive a hundred different answers, but all will have this fundamental point in common.

Leadership applies to situations where many people wish to achieve the same objective, or an objective demands the efforts of many people in order to achieve it. These people must work together, and a leader becomes the central organising force that ensures the process is as smooth and effective as possible.

The right person for the role

The best choice for leadership is the person with the most appropriate experience, but that doesn’t necessarily mean having the most qualifications.

The right person might be someone with a particular expertise, or a superior understanding of the strategy required to achieve the objective. They may simply have the best appreciation of the capabilities of team members. In many cases, it will be a mix of these and other qualities, such as the ability to inspire trust and motivate action.

A willingness to take responsibility

Leadership means responsibility, and a leader is someone who is ready to take responsibility for the group.

They are willing to make decisions, such as choosing the most appropriate objective, defining the best strategy for achieving it, and deploying solutions to any challenges encountered along the way.

A commitment to succeed

Once a leader takes responsibility, they must commit to objective success. Whether the strategy is defined through individual or group effort, the leader will oversee its execution, and drive the team forward to the project’s natural conclusion.

An ability to take the initiative

Taking the initiative means being the first to act. The leader may be the first person to set the objective, the first to define the strategy or the first to come up with solutions. Members of the team will look to the leader for initiative, particularly if a crisis arises.

How can training help me?

Our fundamental definition answers the question ‘what is leadership?’, but bear in mind there are no hard and fast rules about what makes a leader. Good leaders may already possess many natural leadership qualities and skills, but these can also be learned.

Leadership and management training courses are specifically designed to enhance the skills you already have, and help you develop others.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind:

Every person is unique, and so is every leader. Start by considering the leadership qualities you already possess that enable you to lead others.

Our leadership quiz can help you identify them.

How a person leads depends on who they are, but it also depends on the group they lead and the objective they are moving towards.

Read about the five things good leaders do every day

Self-development is valuable, but never underestimate the value of working with a trained professional who can assess your leadership qualities objectively, and build a tailored development plan.

Learn how to get the most out of your leadership training