What is Leadership?

You’ll know it when you feel it.

Photo by Jehyun Sung on Unsplash

Artists employ the techniques of using of negative space to illustrate that often the sharpest definition of something arises from consideration of what it is not. Like the space in between the shadows, leadership is an enigmatic concept that eludes precise definition but nonetheless carries significant impact on its surroundings. Often, attempts to precisely define it yield flat depictions which fail to capture its true essence. Likewise, and understanding of what quality leadership is not can hone the definition of what it is.

Throughout history, individuals have attempted to capture the formula for what constitutes a great leader. Niccolo Machiavelli, a famous Italian political philosopher and statesman once wrote, “it is safer to be feared than loved” (1998, p. 17) as the basis of his philosophy of leadership. Machiavelli believed that any means, however unscrupulous, should be used by a leader to maintain authority and control. This notion of leadership as allegiance by intimidation and obligatory regulation of the actions and behaviors of another person or group of people is not without its supporters. After all, many of its proponents can point to numerous occasions where its employment has been successful, at least in terms of their particular measure of success. However, this perspective lacks the essential substance…