Chapter 1: What is Leadership?
First, consider that leadership is comprised of two words: leader and ship.
A leader is the position at the front of the crowd, the team, the project, the vision, etc., literally (according to Webster’s 1828 Dictionary1 ) one who goes first. Leaders make deliberate decisions to break away from the crowd.
A ship is a transportation vehicle, a large water craft. So, I think it’s fair to say that leaders have the right to captain the ship so as to transport life dreams, noble plans, magnificent goals, other people, and themselves from point A to point B.
Those who board the “Leader Ship” have a right to expect they will go somewhere. Yes, there may be storms in route – there may even be hurricanes – but if you stay with the ship, you will achieve your destination. You will achieve your Why in life. I believe there is a secret of leadership for each letter of the word. So, I’ve organized this book into chapters for each letter. I trust this will help you to remember the inner secrets of leadership.
1 I like modern dictionaries. But, this nearly-200-year-old version of Webster’s Dictionary is invaluable. It takes you back to a more pristine and clean look at English words. It gives you a view of our language that is not cluttered by modern culture.