Leadership is the process of influencing and enabling people to work together toward shared goals. It is a social process, not simply a job title or a fixed personal trait. Definitions differ in what they emphasize, so no single wording is universally accepted.
What leadership means
Leadership happens among people: someone’s actions or influence help a group decide what to do, coordinate its efforts, and move toward an aim. That influence may come from a formal position, but it can also come from a person without authority over the group.
OpenStax’s Principles of Management describes leadership as “a social (interpersonal) influence relationship between two or more persons who depend on each other to attain certain mutual goals in a group situation.” The wording highlights the relationship and shared purpose, rather than treating leadership as a quality someone possesses in isolation. Read OpenStax’s discussion of leadership.
The National Research Council’s 1997 book Enhancing Organizational Performance puts more emphasis on intentional influence: “Most definitions involve a process of social influence wherein a leader exerts intentional influence over the cognitions, affect, and behavior of others (usually called subordinates or followers) to structure the activities and relationships in a group or organization.” This is one account of how definitions are commonly framed, not a universal formula. Read Chapter 4, “Developing Leaders”.
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What different definitions emphasize
Definitions can focus on different parts of the same process. The American Psychological Association’s Dictionary of Psychology describes leadership in terms of organizing, directing, coordinating, and motivating effort toward group or organizational goals, while recognizing reciprocal and cooperative dimensions. See the APA Dictionary entry for leadership.
In a 2024 explainer, McKinsey senior partner Aaron De Smet defines leadership as “a set of mindsets and behaviors that aligns people in a collective direction, enables them to work together and accomplish shared goals, and helps them adjust to changing environments.” This framing extends the focus from influencing a group to aligning and adapting an organization. Read McKinsey’s 2024 explainer.
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- Author: Bungay Stanier, Michael.
- Publisher: Page Two
- Pages: 244
- Publication Date: 2016-02-29
- Edition: 1
- Who is involved: a leader and followers, a relationship among people, or an organization-wide process.
- How influence works: through coordination, motivation, direction-setting, or enabling others.
- Where authority comes from: a formal role, informal influence, or some combination.
- What the group seeks: shared goals, effective group functioning, organizational alignment, or adaptation to change.
These are complementary lenses rather than rival definitions. The central idea is that leadership involves social influence directed toward collective work or goals.
Leadership versus management
Leadership and management overlap, but they name different emphases. OpenStax describes management through functions such as planning, organizing, directing, and controlling. Leadership focuses on interpersonal influence that helps people pursue shared goals.
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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteA manager may lead by influencing and enabling a team, and a leader may also plan or organize work. The distinction is useful for understanding the activity, not for dividing people into two mutually exclusive categories.
Does a leader need a title?
No. A formal title can give someone authority, but it does not by itself show that the person is leading effectively. The Singapore Ministry of Defence’s SAFTI Military Institute makes this distinction in its explanation of leadership: rank and appointment confer authority, while effective leadership depends on more than holding the position. Read SAFTI’s definition of leadership.
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Likewise, someone without formal authority can help a group set direction, coordinate, or adapt. Authority is one possible source of influence—not a requirement for leadership.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the definition does not guarantee
Calling an action leadership does not, by itself, establish that the action is ethical, cooperative, or successful. Some definitions explicitly stress reciprocal or cooperative relationships; others focus more narrowly on influence and group activity. Nor does leadership automatically guarantee that a group will reach its goals. Those judgments require looking at how influence is exercised and what results follow.
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