What is leadership?
Leadership is the ability to obtain followers. Leadership is influence. You are a leader to the extent that people are following you.
Why is leadership important?
Leadership is important because it influences the destiny of people. Leadership also determines, to a large extent, what a group of people will be able to achieve. Leadership moves people towards common goals, principles and values. Good leadership enables people to work together well, and realize their potential. Poor leadership frustrates both people and projects. Poor leadership results in people being hurt. Good leadership results in strong people and excellent results.
These comments apply to every area of life and human endeavour.
Who Can be a Leader?
Anyone who can act can be a leader - however, some have greater leadership potential than others. Not everyone can be a great leader, but everyone can be a better leader.
The multiplication of leadership is the key to the multiplication of a movement. The communists knew this, and had as a motto, "Every communist a leader".
People have different personality types and styles of relating. Being a leader does not depend on having a particular personality type or style of relating.
Neither does leadership exclusively depend on having a particular technical ability or giftedness. A good leader without certain skills or gifts can lead people possessing those abilities. A great leader can gather around them others who are very gifted and capable in particular areas.
Both men and women can lead, although it is a fact that there are more male leaders in the world than female, and this will probably continue into the next century also. On the other hand, for every man that ever was, there was a mother, and the leadership influence of mothers over their own children can hardly be over-estimated.
How Does Leadership Happen?
Leadership happens in two ways. The most common way is that a faithful follower is