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

Before Everlane, Vukelich spent 12 years at Walmart in a range of senior leadership roles including vice president of e-commerce supply chain people, head of strategy and human resources for Walmart Neighborhood Markets, and regional general manager for 150 West Coast stores. —David Moin, Footwear News, 21 Oct. 2025

His leadership team began weighing whether to offer Democrats a stand-alone vote on the expiring Obamacare subsidies around a week after funding lapsed, something Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) rejected as a fig leaf. —David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 21 Oct. 2025

His leadership approach is very American. —Barry Strauss, Time, 21 Oct. 2025

Right now, some communities don't feel like they're being protected by the Democratic leadership or party. —Peter Aitken, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 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