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 Kennedy, vaccine skeptics have been appointed to leadership roles across the health agencies, raising alarms among career scientists. —Michael Kaplan, CBS News, 17 Dec. 2025

Capping a year marked by vacancies, lawsuits and shifting appointment rules, the Cabarrus County Board of Commissioners on Monday night swore in its second new member this year and elected new leadership. —Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 16 Dec. 2025

In 1959, Margaret Cobb Ailshie died, and the Cobb family’s remarkable leadership of journalism in Idaho ended. —Idaho Statesman, 16 Dec. 2025

Then, in 2022 under his leadership, Diaz and the State Board of Education voted to allow Miami Dade College to be allowed to authorize charter schools, an authority that is only now starting to be exercised. —Daniel Rivero, Miami Herald, 16 Dec. 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