leadership

Meanings

1. 1noununcountable

   The role or ability of guiding a group, organization or country and inspiring others to follow.

   Grammar: Not used with an or plural: she shows strong leadership.

   Patterns

   • leadership of something
   • under the leadership of someone

   The team improved greatly under her leadership.

   Good leadership means listening as well as deciding.

   He took on the leadership of the project in the spring.

2. 2nounsingular

   The people who lead an organization, considered as a group.

   Grammar: Takes a singular verb, though British speakers may use a plural: the leadership is divided.

   Patterns

   • the party leadership
   • the company's leadership

   The union leadership rejected the offer.

   Staff asked the leadership to explain the changes.

Common combinations

strong leadership

The crisis called for strong leadership.

leadership skills

The course develops leadership skills in teenagers.

leadership role

She moved into a leadership role at 30.

provide leadership

The mayor failed to provide leadership during the flood.

leadership team

The leadership team met every Monday.

Synonyms and how they differ

guidance

Guidance suggests advice and direction given to others, while leadership implies authority and being in charge.

management

Management stresses organizing and running tasks day to day, whereas leadership stresses vision and inspiring people.

command

Command is stronger and suggests formal authority, especially in the military.

direction

Direction focuses on the course being set, not on the personal qualities of the one leading.

Opposites

Word family

leader noun

a person who leads

lead verb

to guide or be in front

leading adjective

most important or foremost

leaderless adjective

without a leader

Commonly confused: leadership or management?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “leadership”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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