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

Francis was notable, and divisive, for his stances striking a more welcoming tone toward LGBTQ+ Catholics and women in church leadership roles, which won some global praise but angered conservative critics. —Conor Murray, Forbes.com, 11 May 2025

Democratic leadership took Krell’s name off the bill, and replaced it with Assemblymembers Nick Schultz, D-Burbank, and Stephanie Nguyen, D-Elk Grove. —Kate Wolffe, Sacbee.com, 11 May 2025

Notable participants include the leadership staff of Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) and the personal office of Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), according to a leader board reviewed by the Washington Examiner. —David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 11 May 2025

Despite his age, the 17-year-old has already taken on a leadership role at Barcelona and feels responsible for bringing the Champions League title back to a club who last won the competition a decade ago. —Pol Ballús, New York Times, 11 May 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