The idea of leadership is a constantly changing thing, going from the idea that “(leadership is) the ability to impress the will of the leader on those led and induce obedience, respect, loyalty, and cooperation” in the 1920s, to the most up- to-date version in that leadership is “an influence relationship between leaders and followers who intend real changes that reflect their mutual purposes.” This changing ideal reflects the movements of history, for in the 1920s the world was recovering from World War I and the idea of investing all power in a single individual was sensible at the time. While in the current time period, leadership is an influence “relationship”, there is less emphasis on the leader as having all the power, but instead leans more toward the idea that leadership is a collaboration between leaders and followers. But a recurring theme throughout the ages is this idea of leadership as being able to influence, direct, and inspire toward a common goal, a shared purpose. I suppose my own personal definition of leadership falls in line with these principles; that leadership is basically being able to get everyone to work as a cohesive whole.
However, similar to how there are different definitions of leadership, there are also different styles, or ways to employ leadership. For instance, there are charismatic leaders, but there are also leaders who are seriously lacking in charisma. My AP Government teacher for my senior year of high school was, in my opinion, very charismatic. He knew how to inspire all of his students into focusing on the task at hand, or how to get all of us to participate in a lively classroom debate. The class ended up running smoothly because of his charismatic leadership. On the other hand, my AP U.S. History teacher was not exactly what you would call “charismatic”, and yet, she too was a leader. Her style of leadership was not so obvious or blatant; she inspired her students through her passion for the topic. Because she showed such interest and found such great amusement in the anecdotes of history, we all ended up seeing history through her eyes, and as a result became better students for it.
Another misconception of leadership is that it is some sort of innate quality of a person, you are either born with it or you aren’t. I would venture to dispute this claim. Take this instance in my own life: I had joined a club as a freshman in high school. But as a painfully shy student I quietly sat in the corner, listening in on the overall flow of the conversation but never participating, let alone leading. But little by little, from observations of successive presidents and vice presidents, I managed to learn something about what it means to run a club, and by the end of my junior year I was vice president, and by senior year I was president. Somehow, I had learned to be a leader. For some, the ability to lead effectively comes effortlessly, and for others, it take time and work. But ultimately, everyone is capable of leadership, in whatever style suits them best.
