Every executive, consultant, graduate educator, and employee has his or her own definition of leadership. Some of those definitions, while they seem to make good sense, are too narrow and basic. They are not practical nor are they accurate. They fail to capture the complexity of the leader and leadership. Other definitions are laced with metaphors and “secret knowledge.” These definitions use impressive verbiage, employ the language of the organizational insider, but leave the reader knowing nothing more about how to actually lead. Additionally, many definitions talk about leadership as an activity, that is, something people “do.” There is a complete absence of words that describe the importance of the person behind the work of leadership. So, while you might be expecting my own definition, I am going to direct you to a definition that I have come to appreciate and value the more I study, teach, and consult around leadership. This definition captures the essence of who a leader is, what a leader does, and the outcome(s) of leadership. This comes from Peter Northouse (2016) in his excellent text, Leadership: Theory and Practice (7th ed.). Northouse states it this way:
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