leadership

noun

lead·​er·​ship ˈlē-dər-ˌship 

1

: the office or position of a leader

recently assumed the leadership of the company

2

: capacity to lead

a politician who lacks leadership

3

: the act or an instance of leading

leadership molds individuals into a team

—Harold Koontz & Cyril O'Donnell

4

: leaders

the party leadership

Examples of leadership in a Sentence

a politician who lacks leadership

What this country needs is the exercise of strong leadership!

Recent Examples on the Web

Guerrero’s leadership blends sociological insight with technical empathy. —Malana Vantyler, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025

In the past, discharge petitions have often been used as a tool of the minority when bringing up a bill with bipartisan support when the party in leadership refuses to schedule a vote on the issue. —Lauren Green, The Washington Examiner, 3 Sep. 2025

Some focus on school support and community engagement, some emphasize family resources and youth leadership, and others use violence interruption. —Everett Eaton, jsonline.com, 3 Sep. 2025

Once its largest shareholder with a 40% stake, Lefkofsky stepped down from an active leadership role at Groupon in 2015 and has since pared his holdings to just under 10%. —Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 3 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1765, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing leadership

• under someone's leadership

Rhymes for leadership

• authorship
• battleship
• censorship
• chairmanship
• chieftainship
• comradeship
• consulship
• craftsmanship
• dealership
• draftsmanship
• fellowship
• fingertip