In today's world, when society thinks of the word leadership, they think of presidents sending their troops overseas to fight wars against other nations or against terrorism. It is clearly understandable why people in society think this certain way because the world has been in a frequent state of war during the past couple of years, but what does the word leadership really mean? People hear this term much more frequently in today's society, but do they really understand what the term leadership means? Dennis Volpe, author of What is Leadership, quotes John Mellecker, a financial services executive in Ohio, and gives his personal definition on what leadership is by stating, "Leadership is the creation of an environment in which others are able to self-actualize in the process of completing the job" (Volpe 1). Another definition of leadership can be found in the Cambridge Dictionary, the word leadership is defined as the set of characteristics that make a good leader. There are many definitions of the word leadership, but many leaders would agree that the word leadership is defined through the qualities of a person.
In the Cambridge Dictionary, the word qualities is defined as an inherent or distinguishing characteristic. Keith L. Smith, author of What Makes a Leader, states, "The qualities of a leader are extremely important and crucial to the ability to lead their people or groups of people" (p.2). Without the correct qualities, a leader will not be able to call themselves a leader because he or she shows no leadership. In order to be able to demonstrate leadership, a person does not have to be in a particular position or office of leadership, because it is through their actions that leadership is demonstrated. Many of today's leaders such as United States Secretary of State Colin Powell, FBI Director Robert Mueller, and many other leaders show many qualities of leadership, but the most common qualities shared by these individuals are: enthusiasm, emotional stability, willingness to give back to others, preparedness, and responsibility.
