What does leadership mean to different leaders?

The definition of leadership can vary, and it can be interpreted in different ways based on a person’s experience. We previously defined the difference between transformational vs transactional leadership and developed a Facebook application with IE Business School to identify your leadership style.

Here’s what leadership means to different leaders

AIESEC International leaders

  • “Leadership is about positively impacting others through living by example and enabling a continuous rippling effect” – Ana Sofia Espejo
  • “To me, leadership reflects in everyday actions and behaviours. Being a leader is not a one-time thing, it’s a life-long commitment” – Karolina Piotrowska
  • “Leadership is service, empathy and clarity of vision” – Giancarlo Ostuni
  • “Leadership is the ability to not just have a vision but to act on it and engage others around you to act on it. Successfully.”  – Kevin Cornwell
  • “Leadership means to me consciously changing and challenging yourself for a purpose you believe” – Vishant Kothari
  • “To me, leadership means to inspire action, inspire by example, inspired by your stories” – Lucia Taboda
  • “Leadership is empowering others to become something greater than themselves”  – Gordon Ching

Historical figures

  • “To handle yourself, use your head; to handle others, use your heart.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
  • “A leader is a dealer in hope.” —Napoleon Bonaparte
  • “Leadership is lifting a person’s vision to high sights, the raising of a person’s performance to a higher standard, the building of a personality beyond its normal limitations.” —Peter Drucker
  • “He who has never learned to obey cannot be a good commander.” —Aristotle
  • “To lead people, walk behind them” – Lao Tzu
  • “Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.” —John F. Kennedy

Modern leaders

  • As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others. —Bill Gates
  • A cowardly leader is the most dangerous of men. —Stephen King
  • Earn your leadership every day –Michael Jordan
  • Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others. —Jack Welch
  • My job is not to be easy on people. My job is to take these great people we have and to push them and make them even better  —Steve Jobs

What is your definition of leadership? Tell us in the comments!

Discover your own leadership! Learn about our leadership development programs at www.aiesec.in.

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