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 and 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

Under his leadership, Iran expanded its influence far beyond its borders, earning a reputation as a formidable and dangerous regional power to be reckoned with. —Abbas Al Lawati, CNN Money, 1 Mar. 2026

Pasteur Street, a compound home to the office of the Iranian president, the center of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’s intelligence leadership, and the Supreme National Security Council, was noted as a target by the Wall Street Journal. —Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 28 Feb. 2026

Supporters argue that while consent may be current practice, it is not embedded in statute and could shift with changes in leadership. —Jeremy Gorner, Chicago Tribune, 28 Feb. 2026

The Dolphins’ new leadership could decide to find a new long-term solution at right tackle as Austin Jackson has struggled to consistently stay on the field and perform. —David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 28 Feb. 2026

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