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

The lawsuit claims Saint Ann’s leadership was alerted twice in early 2024 that explicit images of young girls were circulating among students on Snapchat but failed to notify police or intervene beyond internal meetings. —Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 1 Feb. 2026

The designation has since been renewed multiple times as the country faces a host of crises, including widespread violence by armed gangs, food insecurity, displacement and a leadership vacuum after the president was assassinated in 2021. —Tami Luhby, CNN Money, 1 Feb. 2026

Internal tension about direction and leadership succession festered within the firm. —Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 31 Jan. 2026

Under current leadership, the Department of Health and Human Services has steadily shifted away from scientific evidence when making health recommendations. —Paul Gilbert, Mercury News, 31 Jan. 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