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Various Definitions of Leadership
Various Definitions of Leadership
There are many diverse definitions of leadership. This page outlines a few common approaches, and
outlines the definition of leadership underpinning Christian Leadership World. Leadership is defined as
"enabling a group to engage together in the process of developing, sharing and moving into vision,
and then living it out." We also emphasize the importance of a leader's character and integrity in
building up the trust necessary for the leadership to be exercised over a period of time. For Christian
Leadership, the importance of prayer must be emphasized - since God seeks to work in partnership
with his people, then prayer is the primary channel of communication.
Some of the common ideas that others include in leadership definitions include exerting influence,
motivating and inspiring, helping others realize their potential, leading by example, selflessness and
making a difference. For perspective, we include several other common definitions :
This dictionary definition of leadership focuses on the position (singular or collective), tenure and
ability of leaders. As such, it misses key points about the purpose and hallmarks of effective
leadership.
Leadership Definition : Peter Drucker : The forward to the Drucker Foundation's "The Leader of
the Future" sums up leadership : "The only definition of a leader is someone who has followers." To
gain followers requires influence (see John Maxwell's definition below) but doesn't exclude the lack of
integrity in achieving this. Indeed, it can be argued that several of the world's greatest leaders have
lacked integrity and have adopted values that would not be shared by many people today.
Leadership Definition : Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester : For the purposes of the
Leadership Development Process of the Diocese of Rochester, their leadership definition is "the
process of influencing the behavior of other people toward group goals in a way that fully respects
their freedom." The emphasis on respecting their freedom is an important one, and one which must be
the hallmark of Christian leadership. Jesus influenced many diverse people during his ministry but
compelled no-one to follow Him.