Ask 30 leaders to define leadership and you will get (wait for it) 30 different answers. This is conceivable because leadership, even as one of the most important topics in the human sciences, is historically, one of the more poorly understood. With thousands of books purporting to teach leadership, a concise definition is elusive. One element of this problem is defining leadership as a noun (person, place or thing). This encourages thinking of leadership as someone, an office to be held, or a title to be awarded. After 30 years of living, breathing and studying “Leadership”, my experience shows that leadership is most certainly not a noun, it is better described as a verb. The etymology of the word leadership is best derived from the Old English verb “to act”, “to begin”, to set in motion”, “to travel”, “to cause to go along one’s way” therefore, leadership is best described as an ACTION! Something you can observe someone doing! Leader’s “Do”. The next element to our problem of defining “Leadership” is what, and to whom, do leaders do? This implies the concept of “Followership”, leaders Influence followers to do something, to take action, to go along one’s way.

In short, leadership is Influence.

A leaders influence, is what helps organize collective effort, the actions of others into a unified whole. Therefore, leadership is the key to organizational productivity and effectiveness. However, in many cases the influence of the leader is so egocentric it destroys the very organization it sets out to help. Bad leaders are so common they are practically a proverb. And bad leaders perpetrate terrible misery on those subject to their domain. Understanding that leadership is influence brings us to the most disturbing truth about leadership. This truth is: Leadership is A-moral. Influence can be good or bad. This profound truth teaches that the influence of a leader can be a force for good or a force for evil. It is wise for us to be, to seek out and to cultivate leaders that are a force for the good of their followers, organizations and society. We desperately need Leaders who use their influence not to the benefit of themselves but to the benefit and enrichment of others!