What is the actual definition of a leader?

Definition of Leadership has been interpreted by different people in different ways.
So, What is the actual definition of a leader?

I understand and accept that each of us will have a different answer and these answers will be based on our own bitter/sweet experience with leadership.

Lets start with Wikipedia's defination of Leadership:
Leadership is stated as the “process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task. Leadership remains one of the most relevant aspects of the organizational context. However, defining leadership has been challenging and definitions can vary depending on the situation. Leadership is about capacity: the capacity of leaders to listen and observe, to use their expertise as a starting point to encourage dialogue between all levels of decision-making, to establish processes and transparency in decision-making, to articulate their own value and visions clearly but not impose them. Leadership is about setting and not just reacting to agendas, identifying problems, and initiating change that makes for substantial improvement rather than managing change.

Are you a good leader or maybe a follower?

Good leaders are made not born. If you have the desire and willpower, you can become an effective leader. Good leaders develop through a never ending process of self-study, education, training, and experience (Jago, 1982).

To inspire your team into higher levels of teamwork, there are certain things you must be, know, and, do. These do not come naturally, but are acquired through continuas work and research. Good leaders are continually working and studying to improve their leadership skills; they DO NOT rest on their laurels.

Leadership is a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal.
Whilst leadership is learned, the skills and knowledge delivered by the leader can be influenced by his/her's attributes or traits, such as beliefs, values, ethics, and character. Knowledge and skills contribute directly to the process of leadership, while the other attributes give the leader certain characteristics that make him/her unique.

A true Leader must have an honest understanding of who you are, what you know, and what you can do. Firstly it is the followers, not the leader who determines if the leader is successful. If the followeres do not trust or lack confidence in their leader, then they will be uninspired.
To be a successful leader you have to convince your followers, not yourself, that you are worthy of being followed.

Followers are a mixed band of people that require different styles of leadership. For example, a new reqruit requires more supervision than an experienced one. A person who lacks motivation requires a different approach than one with a high level of motivation.
You as a leader must know your people!
The fundamental starting point is having a good understanding of human nature, such as needs, emotions, and motivation. You must get to know and understand your recruit's be, know, and do attributes.

Lead through two-way communication, unfortunatley a lot of online communication is nonverbal. So set an example, that communicates to your people that you would not ask them to perform anything that you would not be willing to do. What and how you communicate either builds or harms the relationship between you and your employees.

All situations are different. What you do in one situation will not always work in another. You must use your judgment to decide the best course of action and the leadership style needed for each situation. For example, you may need to advise a recruit on inappropriate behavior, but if the confrontation is too late or too early, too harsh or too weak, then the results may prove ineffective.

Also note that the situation normally has a greater effect on a leader's action than his/her traits. This is because while traits may have an impressive stability over a period of time, they have little consistency across situations (Mischel, 1968). This is why a number of leadership scholars think the Process Theory of Leadership is a more accurate than the Trait Theory of Leadership.

Various forces will affect these four factors. Examples of forces are your relationship and skill of your followers, the informal leaders within your organization, and how your organization is organized.

Are you a boss or a leader? Although your position as a leader gives you the authority to accomplish certain tasks and objectives in the organization this power does not make you a leader, it simply makes you the boss (Rowe, 2007). Leadership differs in that it makes the followers want to achieve high goals rather than simply bossing people around (Rowe, 2007). Thus you get Assigned Leadership by your position and you display Emergent Leadership by influencing people to do great things.

A good leader is like a fine cocktail, a good mixture of diverse qualities.
An effective leader is a person with a passion for a cause that is larger than they are. Someone with a dream and a vision that will better society, or at least, some portion of it.
I think a very key question has to be answered:
Can someone who is a charismatic leader, but only to do evil or to promote him/herself, be a leader -- especially if he/she has a large following?
I would say no, he/she is a manipulator.
Also, without passion, a leader will not make the necessary courageous and difficult decisions and carry them into action. This is not to imply that all decisions are of this nature. But you can be sure, some of them will be.
The leader without a passion for a cause will duck.
A leader has to have some ideas about change, about how the future could be different, they also need: creativity and intellectual drive.
I think a leader has to be a reader and a learner. Furthermore, I can’t see someone leading in a field they know nothing about. But a leader has to be a manager, too. I don’t think these skills and abilities can be separated out very easily.

Management is getting things done through people. While a writer or other visionary person may be very influential, even seminal for the cause of change, this is not quite my definition of a leader. A leader means to me, someone who is taking action, trying to get others to do something they want to see done.
Leaders must have the ability to act in an interpersonally competent manner, yet they also need to learn the techniques of good listening, honest and open communication, delegating, conflict resolution skills, etc., to actually get work done and keep the whole organization together.

Leadership is guiding and showing the the way for other people and helping them work together to find direction. It's getting people to cooperate and do things together. It means you can lead a group. Leadership is the ability to be looked upon as a role model. Being a leader is being able to stand up for what you believe in. It means you help to make new ideas, you don't just follow old one.

Leadership is the ability to lead people or represent them. It all starts with responsibility. Your actions not only affect you, but everyone you represent.
Is leadership a position of office or authority?
Or, is leadership an ability in the sense that you are a leader because you lead?
We all know or hear of people who are in positions of leadership are they providing leadership?
A position of office is no guarantee of leadership but it helps in the sense that a leadership position usually commands a listening ear from it's people and that is a good starting point for anyone who desires to be a leader.

A leader by its meaning is one who goes first and leads by example, so that others are motivated to follow.
If I were to sum it all up, I’d say a good leader has to have a purpose that is larger than he/she is and the balanced personality and skills to put that purpose into action.

I would love to hear your views on a good leader please feel free to comment.

Regards
Fionnuala
Skype fionnuala19