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Defining Leadership

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Defining Leadership
There are many ways to define leadership. There is equally as many points of views and several theories that one look to determine the perfect definition, yet still no real consensus of why an individual becomes a leader or even what circumstances place the person in the role of a leader. One way to answer these questions is to describe the different point of views. Reviewing the different viewpoints will create clarity to the definition of leadership; allow discussion around the various theories and why this definition is superior to the other definitions. Lastly, how this selected definition will help the Old Navy Market leader team to lead in a more effective manner.

What is Leadership?
Leadership in the simplest definition according to Merriham-Webster defines leaders as: 1) A position as a leader of a group, organization 2) The power or ability to lead other people.
These definitions show leadership as something that you do, it is not an activity or a position. This point of view also assumes it is where people operate that makes them a leader. The second definition requires the possession of certain traits or skills. Definitions rarely help one to understand or do the very thing you are trying to define. For example, one can define balance but this does not help to achieve balance necessarily to snowboard without falling. Are all leaders born with the needed traits to be a successful leader? There is not enough consensuses about “universal” traits that cause leaders to be effective. Stogdill concluded, "A person does not become a leader by virtue of the possession of some combination of traits, but the pattern of personal characteristics of the leader must bear some relevant relationship to the characteristics, activities and goals of the followers" (TLC p. 130).

Another way of sorting out this complex task of defining

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