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 Mouse House’s new CEO said an ongoing initiative to make Disney+ to first port of call for Disney customers and fans in most scenarios was already taking shape under his leadership. —Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 6 May 2026

After a public service career spanning nearly three decades, Evanston Fire Chief Paul Polep is retiring from his leadership role, effective May 21. —Claire Murphy, Chicago Tribune, 6 May 2026

At an April news briefing on the Iran war, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth digressed from taking a dig at Iranian leadership to take a dig at American news media. —Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 6 May 2026

Now, with new leadership in place, Mitsouras said the focus is on rebuilding. —Caroline Foreback, CBS News, 6 May 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