Explore what leadership means to you personally. Learn how to develop your own leadership philosophy and articulate your unique approach to leading others.
Written by Laura Bouttell • Fri 9th January 2026
What leadership means to you shapes how you lead—your personal definition determines which behaviours you prioritise, how you make decisions, and what kind of leader you ultimately become. Unlike textbook definitions that remain abstract, your answer to this question becomes your operating system, guiding daily choices that accumulate into leadership identity.
When asked "what does leadership mean to you?" many people struggle to articulate a clear response. They recognise leadership when they see it, yet find the concept difficult to define personally. This isn't surprising—leadership encompasses so many elements that crystallising your particular understanding requires intentional reflection most leaders never undertake.
This guide helps you develop your personal leadership definition, understand why it matters, and translate your philosophy into consistent practice.
Your understanding of leadership directly shapes your behaviour and effectiveness as a leader.
Philosophy Drives Behaviour What you believe about leadership determines what you do. If you believe leadership means commanding, you'll focus on directing. If you believe it means serving, you'll focus on supporting. Your implicit definition—whether articulated or not—shapes countless daily decisions.
Clarity Enables Consistency Leaders who've clarified their definition act more consistently. They know what they stand for and can evaluate choices against clear principles. Without clarity, leaders react situationally without coherent through-line.
Communication Requires Understanding You cannot communicate your leadership approach to others without understanding it yourself. Teams, stakeholders, and colleagues benefit when leaders articulate what they believe and why.
Development Needs Direction Growing as a leader requires knowing what kind of leader you want to become. Your definition provides the target toward which development aims.
Leaders who haven't reflected on their philosophy often:
Leadership has been defined countless ways. Understanding the range helps you articulate your own perspective.
Influence-Based Definitions Leadership as the ability to influence others toward shared goals. This perspective emphasises moving people rather than commanding them.
Service-Based Definitions Leadership as serving others' needs and development. This perspective prioritises follower wellbeing over leader achievement.
Vision-Based Definitions Leadership as creating and pursuing compelling futures. This perspective emphasises direction-setting and inspiration.
Character-Based Definitions Leadership as embodying values and integrity. This perspective emphasises who you are over what you do.
Results-Based Definitions Leadership as achieving outcomes through others. This perspective emphasises delivery and performance.
| Definition Focus | Core Emphasis | Implied Priority | Potential Blind Spot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Influence | Moving others | Persuasion, motivation | May neglect results |
| Service | Others' needs | Support, development | May neglect direction |
| Vision | Future direction | Strategy, inspiration | May neglect execution |
| Character | Values, integrity | Authenticity, ethics | May neglect capability |
| Results | Achievement | Performance, delivery | May neglect people |
Creating your personal leadership definition requires intentional reflection and ongoing refinement.
Step 1: Examine Your Experience What leadership have you experienced—both inspiring and disappointing? What patterns emerge about what you value?
Step 2: Identify Your Values What matters most to you in how people are led? What principles feel non-negotiable?
Step 3: Articulate Your Beliefs What do you believe leadership fundamentally is? Write provisional definitions and refine through testing.
Step 4: Test Against Reality Does your definition hold up in practice? Refine based on experience.
Service-Oriented: "Leadership to me means creating conditions where others can do their best work. My job is removing obstacles, providing resources, and ensuring people feel supported enough to take risks and grow."
Vision-Oriented: "Leadership to me means seeing possibilities others haven't imagined and helping people believe we can achieve them together. My job is painting compelling futures and building commitment to pursue them."
Development-Oriented: "Leadership to me means growing people. Every interaction is an opportunity to help someone develop capability and confidence. My success is measured by what my people become."
Results-Oriented: "Leadership to me means delivering outcomes that matter through collective effort. My job is setting clear direction, building capable teams, and removing barriers to achievement."
Specific questions can unlock understanding of what leadership means to you personally.
About Purpose:
About People:
About Responsibility:
Learning how various leaders answer this question illuminates possibilities for your own definition.
Customer-Focused: "Leadership means ensuring every decision ultimately serves our customers better. I see my role as constantly redirecting attention to what matters most—the people we exist to serve."
People-Focused: "Leadership means getting the right people in the right roles and then getting out of their way. My job is talent selection and development, not daily direction."
Mission-Focused: "Leadership means keeping the organisation aligned with our purpose, especially when easier paths tempt us away. I'm the keeper of why we exist."
Innovation-Focused: "Leadership means creating permission for experimentation. People naturally tend toward caution; my job is creating space where intelligent risk-taking becomes possible."
Different eras have emphasised different leadership concepts:
| Era | Dominant Definition | Key Elements |
|---|---|---|
| Traditional | Command | Authority, hierarchy, control |
| Industrial | Scientific management | Efficiency, standardisation |
| Human Relations | Motivation | Needs, relationships, morale |
| Modern | Transformation | Vision, change, inspiration |
| Contemporary | Adaptive | Complexity, agility, learning |
Understanding historical evolution helps you position your own definition within the broader conversation about what leadership means.
Defining leadership matters only if your definition shapes practice.
From Definition to Daily Practice:
If leadership means serving, daily practices include:
If leadership means inspiring, daily practices include:
If leadership means developing, daily practices include:
Living your philosophy requires navigating common challenges:
Pressure Situations Stress often causes leaders to abandon their philosophy and revert to default behaviours. Maintaining your definition under pressure requires conscious attention.
Competing Demands Your philosophy may conflict with organisational expectations or short-term pressures. Determine which compromises you'll accept and which violate non-negotiables.
Growth and Evolution Your definition should evolve as you develop. Periodically revisit and refine based on experience and learning.
Sharing your definition helps others understand and work effectively with you.
Onboarding Conversations When new people join your team, explaining your leadership philosophy sets clear expectations.
Feedback Contexts When providing feedback, connecting it to your philosophy explains the "why" behind your observations.
Decision Explanations When explaining significant decisions, referencing your philosophy demonstrates consistency and values.
Development Discussions When discussing leadership development with others, sharing your journey helps them undertake their own reflection.
Be Specific Abstract philosophies confuse; concrete examples clarify. Don't just state your definition—illustrate it with specific behaviours and situations.
Be Authentic Your philosophy must be genuinely yours. Borrowed definitions feel hollow; lived definitions resonate.
Be Humble Acknowledge gaps between your philosophy and practice. No one perfectly lives their ideals; admitting this creates trust.
Be Open Invite feedback on whether your behaviour matches your stated philosophy. Others see gaps you may miss.
Answer authentically with specific, concrete elements rather than generic platitudes. Share your genuine beliefs about leadership, ideally illustrated with examples from your experience. Avoid rehearsed definitions that sound borrowed. Interviewers want to understand your philosophy and whether it aligns with their organisational culture. Strong answers include what you believe, why you believe it, and how you demonstrate it.
Your leadership philosophy should evolve as you gain experience, face new challenges, and deepen understanding. Early-career leaders often emphasise different elements than senior leaders. Significant experiences—particularly failures—often reshape leadership beliefs. Periodic reflection and refinement keeps your philosophy current and meaningful rather than a static statement you've outgrown.
Some tension between personal philosophy and organisational culture is normal and can even be productive. Significant misalignment, however, creates ongoing stress and limits effectiveness. Assess whether the gap is bridgeable through adaptation or represents fundamental incompatibility. Neither abandoning your philosophy entirely nor remaining in chronic conflict serves you well long-term.
You don't need formal leadership experience to develop preliminary beliefs about leadership. Reflect on leadership you've experienced as a follower—what worked and what didn't. Consider what you admire in leaders you've observed. Articulate provisional beliefs, then test and refine them as you gain leadership experience. Having a starting philosophy guides early leadership better than starting without reflection.
Sharing your philosophy helps team members understand your priorities, predict your responses, and work effectively with you. Be authentic rather than performative—teams quickly recognise gaps between stated philosophy and actual behaviour. Invite feedback on whether you're living your philosophy, which builds trust and accountability.
Leadership philosophy addresses beliefs and values—what you think leadership is and why it matters. Leadership style describes behavioural patterns—how you typically lead. Philosophy is foundational and relatively stable; style is behavioural and may flex across situations. Strong leaders have clear philosophies that inform adaptable styles.
Your philosophy should be clear enough to guide decisions but concise enough to remember and communicate. A few sentences or a short paragraph typically suffices. Excessive detail becomes unwieldy; insufficient detail provides little guidance. Test your philosophy by asking whether it helps you navigate actual leadership situations.
What leadership means to you isn't an abstract philosophical question—it's the foundation upon which your leadership practice builds. Leaders who've clarified their personal definition act more consistently, communicate more clearly, and develop more intentionally than those operating from undefined instincts. The reflection required to answer this question genuinely may be the most important leadership development work you undertake.