The Merriam Webster dictionary defines a leader as a person who leads. But what is it to lead?According to the dictionary, it means, “to guide on a way especially by going in advance” or “to direct on a course or in a direction.” Of course, this is just a dictionary definition, which may or may not correspond to the way in which we view leaders in real life. On the other hand, it also gives us a certain basic idea about what it means to be a leader. Here is the definition of a leader, broken down into its various parts:

Define leaderDefinition of a Leader

1) “To guide on a way.” A leader is a guide. They’re the person that others turn to when they’re not sure what path they should take. A leader points them in the right direction. Most of us aren’t completely independent in everything we do. Whether we’re at work or we’re trying to achieve something in our personal lives, we may not necessarily know how to go about it. Sure, you can try to trust your instincts. Or you may employ deductive reasoning. But chances are you’re still going to feel uncertain about the results. You might want to ask a real person how to do something. So you turn to a leader.

2) “To guide on a way especially by going in advance.” A leader is not just a person who tells you what to do. They also convince you of the soundness of their advice by going in advance of you. For example, if someone has effectively led a team to do the very thing that you’re trying to get your team to do, then you’re obviously going to trust them. Why should you trust anyone who hasn’t done the things that you want to do? A leader has to lead by example.

3)“To direct on a course or in a direction.” This might just seem like a repetition of what was said before but it is actually a little bit different. To direct someone is a lot like supervising. A leader is someone who not only tells you to move in a certain direction but is also there to make sure that you do things correctly. If you have any questions, you can turn to them. And even if you don’t, they’ll make sure to check in from time to time to make sure that you’re not having any issues.

These are some of the elements of leadership. Contact us for more information.